Warped Reflections
by RosyRain
Summary: North and South. Truth and Lies. Dark and Light. Good and Evil. Harmony and Discord. Everything has its equal, its opposite, its counterpart, for the sake of balance. One cannot exist without the other, but is that how it really plays out now?
1. Prologue

_Ahahahahaha! I'm goin' crazy with school! No! Take me away! I dun want no school!_

_Ahem… Anyway, first fic so please be considerate and stuff if I mess up. PLEASE leave reviews, be it good or bad comments. Advice would help a lot ^^,_

_About the summary? Well, I dun no where the hell i got that... Sounded good to me though... :D_

_Wahaha! Laughing ish fun._

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A man with long blond hair wore lose white robes, and around him, a white calming aura was present. Blue eyes gazed out into the field and sighed as he took in the peaceful landscape. The wind blew by gently, making his hair dance as it passed. Lean muscles covered his body, showing experience in the field of combat. He calmly sat on top of his throne, watching… and guarding. A man like him would have no time for rest as long as he knew of the possibilities that could happen. He did not want this realm to be dragged into the war as well. He closed his serene eyes, hoping his wishes would be granted.

But lady luck was not on his side, for a large earthquake shook the ground. The tall mighty trees fell down towards the earth. The land was tore open, the fire underneath exposing itself. The cries of people could be heard throughout the lands, the villages, the towns, the cities, the worlds.

The man opened his eyes, now cold and hard. "I feared that this would happen…" he murmured. He closed his eyes once again, concentrating. "Please, hear me my warriors…"

Ten people stood in the middle of a watery field. A throne-like structure stood in the middle, but bore no ruler.

The one in the middle, a female in blue and white heavy armor completely covering her body. She carried with her a shield and a sword. She stood up tall and determined, and in her blue eyes, one could see the resolve and loyalty she had. Her silver hair flowed out from her horned helmet, swaying with the wind, her cape dancing along.

Another woman stood not too far from the warrior, wearing blue and white armor as well, with a pale blue cape flowing behind her. She had silver hair that was chopped off short above her shoulders. A strip of orange and white cloth was wrapped around her forehead, an attempt to brush away her straight bangs. Brown eyes warily glanced from side to side, ready to grab any of her six weapons at any presence of an enemy.

Another female, this time, a child, stood beside the only male of the group. She wore red light armor, her green eyes peeking under her blond hair. A child as she was, she possessed a fire inside of her.

A woman in dark armor fully covering her body and face stood calmly beside their leader. Though no apparent feature could be made out from her, a flicker of light could be detected from within her, although weak.

A lady with short messy brown hair wore white robes, reaching just above her knees. Her brown eyes showed a certain light that reduced the tension in the environment. Though unarmed, something in her told the others that she knew what she was doing.

A man, the only man of the group. He wasn't muscled, but he was capable in the arts of magic, a gift from his parents. He wore a light shirt under a red jacket with matching pants, red and gold boots peeking out of them. His short blond wavy hair framed his face, his strong jaw perfectly outlined. His pale blue eyes shone with confidence, fueling the child that was with him to go on.

A woman in her early twenties stood beside a brunette. She had blond hair, spiky on top but the wavy ends were tied to the side. She wore the standard uniform of the soldiers from her world would. A dark blue turtleneck, dark pants and boots. A huge sword was slung over her back while her glowing blue eyes shone with unspoken feelings and frets.

The female beside the blond had short brown wavy hair that hung just above her shoulders. She wore a white shirt under a black leather jacket that was lined with fur around the collar. She wore matching leather pants and had belts strapped around her waist. A small chain necklace hung around her neck with a lion-like pendant dangling on it. Her gray eyes narrowed, as she watched the events before them unfold.

Yet, another child. She was no taller than the other, but possessed a tail that was playfully swinging from side to side. Her blond hair was tied into a loose and low ponytail. She wore a white blouse under a blue vest and matching blue pants that had belts slung all over her hips. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her white and blue gloves hidden. Her blue eyes filled with life and mischief.

The last of the group, another woman. She had blond hair tied into a neat ponytail, though her bangs would occasionally get in the way of her blue eyes. She wore a white shirt under a yellow jacket that had high white collars. She also wore a dark blue overall, the bottom part, a miniskirt with the insignia of her team. She wore black tights that reached just above her knees and had yellow sneakers.

"We have been called to fight," the one in the middle finally said after moments of silence.

"It seems so," the tailed girl agreed, tiredly closing her eyes.

Before them, they watched as their counterparts battled against their enemies. Sword clashing against sword. Magic against magic. The ten watched patiently as they saw them being thrown, getting up, and attacking again.

"The girl looks weak," the one in dark armor noted.

The lone man frowned. "No she's not! She's very capable!" he complained.

"Shouldn't we help them?" the brunette with the jacket asked, her eyebrows pulled together.

"We shouldn't interfere unless our enemies do," the woman with many weapons said.

The blond with the huge sword frowned. "But wouldn't it be easier if we finished it here and now?" she argued.

"It would, but would it be fair if we attacked, leaving Chaos' pawns outnumbered? Besides, maybe there's a trap or something…" the dirty blond replied as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Then what do we do?" the child in red armor asked.

"We wait for the right time to move," the brunette in white robes said.

"The time will come," their leader said. As if on cue, the invisible wall that was holding them back shattered into a million pieces, while the wall of molten rock receded. The ten took their stance as their enemies emerged from the fires.

A woman completely covered in dark armor that held a huge sword. A lady dressed in gold and purple, her expression haughty and arrogant. A man with a flowing red and black cape that floated as he did, snake like creatures sticking out from his sides, while he wore only black tights. Another woman in dark armor, a huge cape draped over her shoulders. A woman in light blue armor, slow, but possessed the ability to control the void. A woman wearing a jester's colorful outfit, her face warped into a malevolent smile. A woman with long silver hair and green feline eyes that wore a white shirt under a long black jacket and black pants, while in her hand was an intimidating long katana. A man with a red, fur-lined coat and purple claws, dark hair flowing behind him while his horns stood at either side of his head. A woman with silver hair that wore a provocative outfit - barely covering her chest with a white tube top that was under a purple bolero and thongs. A woman that wore a sleeveless white top and black shorts, a red and orange sash wrapped around her hips while she carried a huge black sword.

"Well this sucks… I thought we still had a lot of time," the brunette said.

"Relax Breeze…" the man said as he put a hand on the other's shoulder.

She hissed. "'Relax Breeze' my ass. You should really think things through Tony," she snapped.

The child in red had a worried look on her face. "Please… Now isn't the time to squabble…" she pleaded.

"No, it isn't Luna. Now is the time to focus on what's on hand," the multi-weapon carrying woman said.

"Frina's right… We should really focus," the tailed girl agreed.

"Then we should really get going before they catch wind of us being here, Zina," the blond with the massive sword said as she pointed towards their enemies' swift descent.

The tailed girl narrowed her eyes and summoned her daggers. "Let's go then Claudine," the woman in dark armor announced.

"Cecilia, shouldn't we ask if we should go now?" the dirty blond said. They all turned towards their leader, eyes expectant.

"What do you think Light?" The other brunette asked the armored woman.

"Cecilia's right Tina, we should get going. Quistin, ready yourself," the woman narrowed her eyes as she took her stance, "we're in for a bumpy ride." The other's followed suit, swords ready. Light ran towards the battlefield, her comrades right behind her.

Cecilia smirked as she caught sight of Cecil who was battling with Garland. She immediately turned towards him and changed into her paladin form, revealing her soft features. Silver hair whipped around her face as she struck Garland with her lance on his head and landed right behind him. Cecil gave her a confused look, but she ignored it and continued to spam the chaos knight with her attacks. The male paladin widened his eyes when he saw another knight in black, a female. He immediately rand beside Cecilia and blocked the incoming attack, pushing away the female chaos knight.

Quistin caught sight of Squall clashing swords with Sephiroth and another silver haired person with a long sword who was readying to attack Squall from behind. She narrowed her eyes and picked up her speed, blocking the woman's attack just in time. Sephiroth glared at Quistin as he lunged at her, along with his counterpart, while she was in mid air. Squall caught up with their plans and immediately pulled the woman away, getting out of harm's way.

Claudine immediately ran towards her counterpart, but she was stopped by a woman in clown's clothes. She skidded back as she was hit with a fireball. Cloud, who was running after Kefka, saw the stumbling girl and turned around to help her. He immediately slashed down at the jester, sending her back. Claudine quickly got up on her feet and started to chase after them. The jester growled as she showered them with fire balls, but the two were able to get away.

Firion swung as he held onto dear life onto his rope. He heard a soft chuckle coming towards his way and saw a short haired woman with a playful smile on her face. She swung from her own rope and caught him before the dagger he had wedged into a crack gave way. She laughed as she dislodged her own dagger and landed safely on the ground. Frina jumped back agilely, towing Firion along as one of Emperor's traps detonated.

Tony frowned as he saw Terra evading the attacks Ultimecia sent her way. He dashed towards the witch's direction and sent five balls of light at her. Ultimecia widened her eyes at the surprise attack, but her counterpart easily blocked the attack and launched his own shower of purple energy. Terra saw more purple shards coming after Tony and set up a barrier around him just in time.

Onion Knight, or Luneth, flew away as another of Emperor Mateus' traps set off. A person grabbed his arm and set him on solid ground. He looked up and saw a girl, not older than he was, in similar armor. Her green eyes looked into the distance, watching. She took out her sword and blocked an attack from the Cloud of Darkness. Luna grunted as she saw the woman produce a large ball of energy and immediately dragged Luneth away into safety just before the Cloud of Darkness let it lose. Luna widened her eyes as her enemy appeared right in front of her, and immediately jumped over him, Luneth still in tow.

Zidane was caught up with Kefka. He was jumping off from one floating rock towards another while trying to land a blow on the crazy clown. He turned around and around, his daggers making a deadly dance. He glanced to the side and saw another tailed figure dancing about on the floating rocks, up against another genome, another woman. Zidane didn't pay attention to Kefka and was caught off guard and was sent flying into another direction. Zina watched as she saw her counterpart being thrown away and saw Tina near her. Zina left her sister and jumped, heading towards Tina. The female blitzballer saw her friend heading her way and jumped into the air, Zina wrapping her tail around Tina's leg and being launched towards Mateus. Zidane on the other hand, was already being thrown by Tidus and was heading straight towards Exdeath who was just waiting for Bartz to lose his grip. The mimic fell, but was caught by Breeze. Zina was about to slice Mateus with her daggers, but his counterpart appeared out of nowhere and sent her flying.

The Warrior of Light was now facing Garland, with Cecil and Cecilia off to help the others. The chaos knight threw him to the side and he scrambled to his feet. The other chaos knight lunged from behind, but her attack was blocked by the female Warrior of Light. She gave him a nod as she pushed back her enemy and continued to lock swords with her.

Terra was being showered once again with Ultimecia's purple shards. She flipped back a few times, avoiding the deadly attack. She could see Tony from the corner of her eye, but he was busy with someone else. She hesitantly took a few steps back, accidentally detonating another trap. She barely had time to put up a decent barrier and was left unprotected from the explosion. She braced for impact, and she heard the explosion. She opened her eyes and saw three men in front of her, forming a protective barricade around her. Beside her, Tony fell in line with Cloud, Luneth and the Warrior of Light. Another two landed on her sides. She heard soft giggles die down as another set of feet landed onto the water's surface.

Warrior of Light charged, his female counterpart running right beside him. The other's followed suit, swords drawn. Forty warriors, twenty from each of the two realms, one from each world, pitted against each other in one final battle to determine the fate of their homes.

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_*Raises eyebrows up and down* Ei? Ei? So? What? Do? You? Think?_

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	2. Odyssey I:I

**Odyssey I-I**

Light moaned as she raised her head up from the water's surface. Her vision, though blurry, focused on the other figure lying on the water. She recognized the man and immediately ran up to him, ignoring the pain that shot up through her head. The clash did a good number on her, but it wasn't enough to stop her. She kneeled beside the other's figure and slowly turned him over. She sighed in relief as she saw him breathing. She gently shook him. "Warrior of Light, are you alright?" she asked softly.

The man groaned as he opened his eyes. He found himself face to face with a woman that looked oddly similar to him. Warrior supported himself with his arms, Light letting him go. "Where's everyone?"

Light shrugged. "I don't know…"

"Who are you? How do you know my name?"

The woman looked at him weirdly. It was either she was amused or just plain confused. Something flickered in her eyes, but the warrior could not determine it. She broke into a small smile and let out a nervous laugh. "I'm you."

The man widened his eyes and immediately got up on his feet. "Impossible. This is ridiculous."

Light shook her head. "I believe it's true, dear warrior. Moving back to the topic at hand, where are we?"

Warrior glanced at her for a moment before turning away. "We're at Order's Sanctuary, where Cosmos resides. Speaking of Cosmos…" The two glanced around, and saw the goddess sitting on her throne, in very bad condition. "Cosmos!" He quickly ran towards her direction, the other warrior following behind him.

When the two were in front of the goddess, Light widened her eyes. She couldn't believe that the goddess was really in front of her. If the deity spoke of anything about her, it would put everything in jeopardy. If they were sent back... Light slightly shook her head and decided to go with her original plan. "I thought Cosmos was a guy…" she under her breath.

"How could you possibly say that?" Warrior scolded. Though Warrior didn't notice it, Cosmos was a bit taken aback at Light's statement. Light, on the other hand, caught the goddess' reaction and her eyes pleaded for her not to tell.

The goddess looked up tiredly at them and sighed. "She's right… There is another Cosmos, but not from this realm. It seems as though I have underestimated Chaos. She has called for ten warriors as well, forcing you to join this war," she explained, eyeing Light. "For every world, there exists its opposite. Another realm where everything is the same, but the people are not. An alternate world, shall I say. Your realm has been pulled into this conflict, and the twenty of you are its only hope. Collect your crystals, the light that can never be dimmed." She closed her eyes, shaking her head ever so slightly. "Please, gather them, while I rest and try to hold onto this world for as long as I can. Please…" she begged as she faded.

"Cosmos, your light will always be with us," Warrior said as he narrowed his eyes. He turned around, walking away. Light followed dutifully. "Shouldn't you be off to find your crystal?" he asked.

The woman nodded. "Yes, but seeing that we are from the same world, it would seem more reasonable to go where you go. Our Cosmos told us about the realms before we got here, and he told us that for a pair of worlds, there is only one crystal so…" she drifted off, looking up into the sky.

The man nodded in understanding. "Then so be it…"

Light looked at him from the corner of her eye as they walked. "The great Warrior of Light…" she whispered.

"I beg your pardon."

Light shook her head gently. "Something's been bothering me…" she said, not bothering to look at the man. "How will they address us? Surely, both of know nothing of our names, right? If the others were to call either of us 'Warrior of Light', wouldn't it be confusing?"

Warrior raised an eyebrow. "You do have a point, but that's not what's important right now. What's important is that we find our crystals so that we can end this war…."

A deep laughter echoed throughout the sanctuary. "What stupidity…" Garland laughed as he slowly approached them. "End the conflict? You believe in such things?"

"Garland!" Warrior exclaimed.

"So this is Garland, the Chaos Knight," Light noted, raising an eyebrow.

"And this is the Warrior of Light that Gardenia always curses," the knight shot back.

"Oh? She does that? How childish of her," the female warrior said in an amused voice.

The three heard another set of footsteps approach them along with the clang of metal against metal. "Speak for yourself. To think that everything would end the war…" Gardenia muttered.

"What are you doing here?" Garland hissed.

"I'm here for the same reason you are here," she replied.

"Might I ask what that would be?" Light asked.

Even though it couldn't be seen, Gardenia smiled and took out her huge sword. "To fight," she answered, taking her stance.

Warrior shifted his gaze between the two women. "This might be a trap…" he whispered towards Light. She gave him a glance before turning back to her opponent.

"If a fight is what you want, then a fight you will get," she said as she called out her sword and shield, taking a stance of her own.

Gardenia chuckled to herself and charged at the warrior. She swung down her massive sword, but was blocked by the other's shield. Light in turn slashed her sword sidewards, landing a blow on the chaos knight's chest. Gardenia slid back, her sword supporting her. Light took the opportunity to whip up a fire ball and sent it straight towards her. The knight dodged and came straight after the warrior. She hit her and sent her flying into the air. Gardenia jumped up and was about to strike the other back down to the ground but Light recovered from the sudden throw and was able to hit Gardenia with her shield. She landed on the ground on her feet and watched as the other fall.

"This isn't the end you know…" Gardenia murmured as she got onto her knees.

"I know."

"Then you should also know what happens as you draw near the crystals… Will you gladly bear all the hurt and pain?" the chaos knight smugly said.

"Of course. As long as it would bring peace," Light replied.

"Of course you would… The great Warrior of Light would sacrifice her own life for the sake of peace," Gardenia said, distaste evident in her words. "But will your comrades understand your lies?" The chaos knight laughed darkly as dark flames started to engulf her. Light narrowed her eyes as her adversary faded, but she could not deny the heavy burden she had. She knew Cosmos had already figured out what they were, but the goddess had graciously given them the chance to fight. For that, she was thankful.

"Are you alright?" Warrior said as he approached her.

Light turned around, wiping away any sign of her troubles with a small smile. "I'm fine," she calmly said. "We should get going. Cosmos is weakening and we cannot afford to lose any more time." The warrior in front of her nodded and started to lead the way. She was sure neither of them knew the way to the crystal, but she chose not to argue. With hesitant footsteps, she followed him out of Cosmos' safe haven and into the darkness. Only one thing was on her mind.

"_Dear Cosmos help us."_

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_So here's the plan…. I was pretty disappointed by this story that I decided to do a re-write. Hope you guys understand… I also needed to clear up a few things. I was a bit troubled on how things would progress, so I decided to go with how Dissidia did it with the Odysseys and stuff.._

_BTW, I do not own Dissidia: Final Fantasy or any of its characters. The game is owned by Square Enix. XD_


	3. Odyssey IV:I

**Odyssey IV:I**

Tina frowned as she saw Tidus smile about, carefree and all. They had just heard Cosmos' message, and there he was, goofing off already. She rolled her eyes at his childishness. He was like a blond male Quistin. She was his exact opposite. She heaved out a sigh and turned to her own team mates. "So what do we do guys?" she heard one of them ask. She turned to the voice and saw that it was Claudine, another perky one.

"I suggest we just go with them," Frina said, pointing her thumb back towards the boys.

Cecilia smiled. "I'm up to it!"

"They're full grown men, and we're full grown women. They can take care of themselves, and we can do the same," Tina interjected. "We don't need to become a burden to them, or vice versa."

Claudine pulled her eyebrows together. "But wouldn't it be safer to travel in a group?" Tina gave her a look, making her glance at the two other women. "I mean a bigger group…" Tina opened her mouth to reject the idea, but someone spoke up from behind, effectively silencing her.

"Hey guys, do you wanna come with us?" the blitzballer asked as he waved one hand in the air. Tidus noticed their furrowed eyebrows and laughed. "Girls, I mean. So me and the guys were talking and…"

"We thought that maybe it would be wiser to travel in a group," Cecil voiced out. Claudine glanced down to the floor, knowing her friend wouldn't allow it.

Frina turned to the female blitzballer and gave her a knowing look and a nod. Tina took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "Fine," she muttered. Claudine shot her head up and blinked. She turned to the blitzballer, who in turn gave her a wave, signaling her to go ahead. The ex-SOLDIER smiled brightly and gave her a tight hug before running off to Cloud. "How troublesome," she said under her breath. She stiffened when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, making her glare at the figure beside her.

"So I guess you and me will get to know each other huh?" Tidus asked, a smile on his face.

Tina rolled her eyes as she picked up the man's arm and removed it from her shoulders, as if grossed out. "It would seem so…" _"Unfortunately…"_

"Oh yeah. I haven't properly introduced myself. My name's-"

"Tidus. I know already. I know everything about you," she said, her voice low. "I'm Tina."

Tidus raised his eyebrows for a second before letting out a nervous chuckle. "Well now, it seems as though you did your homework." The woman rolled her eyes again at the man's antics, cursing in her mind why she was stuck with him.

Meanwhile, Claudine wandered over to Cloud who was spacing out. A mischievous smile spread across her face as she slowed down, keeping herself hidden. She slowly approached the man getting closer every step.

"I know you're there," he said, monotone. She was still about a few meters away.

"Shoot!" she cursed. Her frown turned into a smile as she happily skipped up to him. "So what's up Mister 'I need to kill Sephiroth'?" The statement earned her a glare from the blond. She backed a bit, her hands on front of her in defense. "Sorry alright? Sheesh… You've got a stick up your butt or something?" He continued to glare. "Alright already, I'll stop! I'll stop!" she sighed in defeat, throwing her arms in the air. He held her gaze for a moment before glancing away.

Claudine observed the blond for a few minutes and it bored her. He was very… quiet. She crossed her arms, shifting her weight to the right and raised an eyebrow. "Are you always like this?"

"No." was his brief reply.

The woman smiled as she finally got an answer out of him. "By the way, I'm Claudine Strife," she said as she put out a hand.

Cloud looked at the hand for a moment before taking it and giving it a firm shake. "Cloud Strife."

Frina laughed as she watched their own chocobo-head drive the other at wit's end. Claudine was trying Cloud's patience. The sight of the female blond and her antics always seemed to lighten the mood, along with Quistin of course. "I see your friend has found a mission of her own." She turned to the voice and saw Firion smiling, watching the scene before them.

A small smile graced her lips as she nodded. "It would seem so. My name's Frina," she said, not turning away from the two blonds.

"I'm Firion," he said as he stood beside her, crossing his arms. "I must say, I don't know what to call any of you. You're just like us, but different in several ways."

Frina furrowed her eyebrows. "I prefer being called an ego or something like that…"

"But that would mean that you're just a mere fragment of a person, wouldn't it? That would mean you're not real."

Frina blinked and turned to the man. "Puh-leeze… Me? The girls? Not real? What the hell has gotten into your mind Firion? If it makes you feel better, call us your... counterparts that are also your opposites... In a way." He gave her a look and just shrugged. "Y'know, let's just forget about it…"

Cecilia, on the other hand, was deep in thought. Her eyes were closed and her hand was holding her chin. She had overheard Frina's conversation and was a bit worried at Firion's assumption of them not being real. On thought led to another and now, instead of worrying if herself was real, she was now worried about the authenticity of the one who had summoned them to this conflict. _"Where's Cosmos? Our Cosmos? He should be here to guide us, right? Then again, our Chaos hasn't appeared as well…" _She felt a hand on her shoulder, halting her train of thought. She turned to the side and saw Cecil with a concerned look on his face.

"You seem awfully troubled…" he said.

"Ahh.. Uhmm…" Cecilia looked to the side. _"What the hell?"_ "I'm perfectly fine!" she laughed as she marched a few feet away, far enough to be unnoticeable. She rested against one of the many pillars that stood and sighed. "I… I feel… tired? Weak perhaps?"

Cecilia shook her head. No, she couldn't describe it. It was as if her mind had gone blank for a moment, and she could see flashes of her memory. They were bulrry, but she was sure it was a moment from the past. All her comrades were there, but there was a sliver of doubt that troubled her all the more. Cecilia looked up at the dark, starless sky and pleaded to it.

"_Am I supposed to be here?"_

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_Since these are per character, expect chaps to be shorter, much, much shorter XD… And updates a bit quicker…_


	4. Odyssey VIII:I

**Odyssey VIII:I**

"Ugh! Will you stop already?" Zina ordered as she rubbed her temples. Bartz looked at her innocently before starting to talk about his chocobo again. The genome sighed in frustration. "Breeze, shut him up! I'm begging you!" she pleaded as she turned to her friend.

"I would if I could!" she said, her face showing irritation as her counterpart was still rambling about his pet. Zidane didn't help either. He was practically encouraging the other man with questions of all sorts. _"Dear Cosmos, what did we do to deserve this?"_ She relaxed her shoulders as she heard the two boys turn quiet. "Hey, run out of things to talk about?" she asked with a triumphant smirk as she turned around. She furrowed her eyebrows when she saw nothing. "Hey, where did you guys go?" she called.

"Where are they?" Zina asked. The two of them wandered around the rocky plain, looking for their companions. "This isn't funny guys!" the genome shouted into the air. There was silence for a few moments, and the two just stood there, looking around cautiously. They both felt something, but didn't know what.

All of a sudden, the two had hands over their mouths and swords drawn towards their necks. Zina and Breeze widened their eyes in shock and horror. They didn't know they could be so easily killed like this. Zina focused on the sword before her, rage now filling her. She bit the hand and immediately turned to punch whoever was behind her.

"That was so not funny Zidane! If you weren't Cosmos' warrior, I swear I'd give you more than a punch," she threatened, cracking her knuckles.

Breeze narrowed her eyes as she figured out what was going on. She thrust her elbow back into Bartz's gut, making the mimic double over. "You friggin' idiots…" she mumbled under her breath.

"Oww~! That hurt!" Zidane complained.

Zina shot him a cold, deadly glare. "Serves you right…"

"Ugh! That's gonna leave a mark…"

"You guys should really be a little more serious about this!" Breeze scolded. "We're in the middle of a _war_! A war I tell ya! We can't afford to be careless." The two were clearly not listening and she decided to give up. "Come on… We still have crystals to find."

Bartz raised his eyebrows as he noticed something from the corner of his eyes. "Hey what's-" A manikin suddenly jumped towards him, but luckily, he was able to get out a sword. He slashed the creature in half as he struck Cloud's Buster Sword downwards. He turned to the side and saw the others also fighting off the same creatures. Another one attacked, but he was able to fend it off.

As they killed the manikins, more came in greater numbers. They were finding it hard to keep fighting as their enemies seemed to learn their attacks and were able to land blows.

"Where are they coming from?" Zina yelled.

"I dunno!" Zidane shouted back. The genome heard faint laughter as the manikin he was dealing with was sliced into two nice and clean. He blinked and saw a brunette in front of him, her gunblade slung over her shoulder. "Squall?"

The person made a face. "Nah, try again~!" she chimed as she ran off. She smiled as her two friends came into view. "Zina! Breeze!" she waved as she ran towards them while dodging the flying dead bodies of the creatures. "How've you been guys?"

Zina spared a glance and scowled. "Why the hell are you here?" she asked as she sliced the manikin in half.

Quistin looked up in thought. She moved to the side, avoiding the charging Firion replica from behind, and letting the creature be decimated by a white orb of energy from Breeze.

"You have impeccable luck. Did you know that?" Breeze grunted.

"I didn't know that," the gunblader twirled, dodging yet another fatal attack.

"Yeah, now move your butt and help us already!" the female genome ordered. Quistin happily complied and started slashing down with her sword.

A manikin, a replica of herself, snuck up behind Quistin while she was struggling with a Cloud look alike. Squall was only a few feet away when he noticed the crystalline Quistin. He frowned as he pushed back the orange figure in front of him and immediately blocked the manikin's sword.

Quistin blinked before breaking into a huge grin. "So you _do_ care Squall!" she squealed.

The man ignored her and continued to go on killing the things. "Don't be an idiot and watch your back," she heard him mumble before he went away.

"Yes, sir!" she said, saluting.

They continued to hold their position until the manikins suddenly stopped coming. Zidane chased the last one that was running away and killed it easily.

"Well, that's the last one…" He turned to the two gunbladers. "Thanks for coming when you did. We appreciate the help."

"No prob," Quistin said as she waved her hand back and forth. "Squall was like 'They can handle themselves,' and I was like 'It would be fun!'"

"Quistin, must you always be you?" Breeze sighed as she rolled her eyes and unsummoned a copy of Luneth's sword. The two men behind her were laughing at her friend's Squall impression.

The other gunblader frowned. "Well, at least we saved your butts…"

"Too true," Bartz agreed.

"Hey, would you guys want to go with us?" Zidane offered. "Ow!" The genome rubbed his side while an annoyed Zina glared at him. "What did I do?"

"No thanks," Squall replied bluntly.

"Well, if he says it's- Wait, you said 'no'?" the woman said. She pouted cutely, but it was no use. She felt herself shrink into something insignificant as he glared at her. She heaved a sigh and shook her head. "Aww~ Well, if it's what he wants, then I can't do anything about it…" She turned to the four people and smiled softly. "Sorry guys, the two of us have to do this on our own."

"Are you guys sure?" Zidane asked, looking a bit concerned. The two nodded. "If that's what you want…"

"Is that really you Quistin? 'Coz the Quistin I know doesn't take orders from that kind of person," Zina muttered while pointing a finger accusingly at Squall. The man just ignored her, irritating her even more.

"Well, if you guys are sure… Then we can't stop you," Bartz said.

"Yeah, see ya guys!" Zidane called as he ran off.

Zina huffed before running after him. "Wait up you idiot!"

Breeze shrugged and followed them. Bartz soon did the same, but he hesitated. "Anything wrong Bartz?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She turned around when she saw him run back. "Hey! Where are you going!" she said as she ran after him.

"Hey Squall, I want you to have this," he said as he produced a yellow feather. "This is my good luck charm. I'll let you borrow it, but you have to give it back to me in perfect condition."

Breeze blinked at the chocobo feather. She dug into her pocket and took out an exact copy of it. She smiled at the happy memories that came with it. She sighed as she turned her gaze towards the quiet Quistin who was looking out into the distance. "Hey Quistin," she called, a soft smile on her face.

The girl looked at her inquisitively. "Yeah?"

"Here, take it. It's my own good luck charm," the mimic said.

"A-are you sure?"

The woman frowned. "Of course I'm sure!" she said, shoving the feather into the other's hand. Quistin gave her a confused look. Breeze sighed and held the other's shoulders. "You take care of yourself, okay?" Quistin softened her eyes and nodded. Breeze smiled and hugged the person in front of her. "Good… You're gonna be fine," she whispered softly into her ear.

Quistin smiled. "Yeah…" she said nodding. "You take care too…" Breeze suddenly pulled away, her eyebrows all scrunched up.

"I'm always careful," she said, her hands on her hips. She spun on her heels and started to walk away. "Don't you dare die on us you fumbling idiot!" she shouted back, smiling.

Bartz watched as she walked back to Zidane and Zina who were waiting. "Well, be careful you guys!" he yelled as he ran back to the others.

Quistin sighed. "Well, let's get movin' then!" she said as she put her hands behind her head and started walking away.

"I prefer to be alone," Squall mumbled.

Quistin turned her head a bit and gave a soft 'humpf.' "Well, that's your preference. You can't get rid of me that easily. I might have let you go with not joining Zina and the others, but I'm telling you…" She completely turned to face him, a sly grin on her face. "I am who I am. You can't change me. You can't erase me."

* * *

_This is seriously like a chop from the original chapter.. Just needed a bit of tweaking. _


	5. Odyssey VI:I

**Odyssey VI:I**

"Tony, do you think we can find the crystals?" the little girl in red armor asked. The male esper smiled at her and patted her helm.

"Of course we will! We _are_ warriors after all," Tony replied.

Terra watched from the corner of her eye. She secretly envied the man for his confidence. As they climbed up the smooth glittering orange pillars, she saw him always aiding the little girl. _'What a lucky girl…' _Although Luneth had already reassured her, she still was doubtful of the young knight's abilities. True, he was a knight, but she still feared the horrible things that might come at them.

"Terra, you fell asleep standing again!" Tony laughed from the distance. Terra immediately shook her head and started to walk back to them.

"What's this?" a deep and ancient voice said. The four immediately took a defensive stance and darted their eyes from side to side, searching for the enemy. "I come out to entertain myself, but all I see are a few ants of Cosmos?" A giant blue armored man suddenly floated up from a dark circle on the ground, a golden sword in his hand. Exdeath.

Luneth nervously looked at Terra and at the others. He saw a glimmer of confidence in Tony's eyes and identified it as something reckless. Luna was clearly afraid. He quickly decides that he was the group's only hope of survival. "Please, let us go," he pleaded, sounding honestly afraid. "We're just mere children. You don't have to waste all your energy on fighting us weaklings."

Tony looked at the young knight, totally stunned. He was about to protest when Exdeath spoke. "You are correct. Even if the four of you come at me all at the same time, you are still no match. Very well then, I will let you go…" Luneth smiled inwardly as he managed to pull off his plan. "But remember, cowards will never be able to claim the crystals."

All the while, Tony gritted his teeth as the man disappeared. Luneth let out a sigh of relief, while the two ladies looked at each other nervously.

"Why did you do that? We could have taken him on!" The male espers said, anger boiling up.

Luneth shot him a glare. "No we couldn't. He was way too much for us!"

"What are you talking about! It's four against one! What's the problem with that?" he demanded.

"For sure, you'd mess up, and if you did, I'll be the only one capable to fight!" the younger male pointed out.

"Then what about Terra and Luna? How can you disregard them so easily?" the older man said as he pointed an arm towards the two ladies who were cowering. Luna was hiding behind Terra while the latter was protectively holding the girl close. "Don't tell me you don't believe in their capabilities."

Luneth couldn't help but be quiet. It wasn't like that. He just wanted them to be safe from harm, especially Terra.

"So you think we're weak Luneth?" Luna finally whispered, her head low. "You think… _I'm_ weak?" Luna looked at her twin, revealing the tears that were threatening to fall.

Luneth desperately tried to explain as he knew where this was headed. "Luna, it's not like that… It's just-"

"No! I don't want to hear anymore!" she shrieked as she ran away from them.

"Luna!" all of them cried, but the young knight continued on her way, never looking back once. Tony tried to follow her, but she was already out of their range of vision.

"She used teleport," Terra pointed out as she lowered her head. "The poor child…" She turned to Luneth who was still frozen after Luna had run away. "How could you say that you were the only one capable of fighting Luneth? Wasn't that a bit… selfish?" she said sadly.

Luneth looked at her and mouthed a 'no', his voice still failing him.

"We should go find her," Tony said. Terra was about to agree, but Luneth had spoken before her.

"No."

The female esper looked at him as if he was crazy. "Are you sure? She might get harmed!"

"You said it yourself Tony, we should believe in each other's capabilities." Tony was going to protest, but when he saw the young knight's serious expression, he immediately abandoned the idea.

"Of course. She would be fine."

Terra looked at both of them desperately. "You can't be serious! A child is out there all alone in a dangerous world, and you won't even try to find her?"

"Terra," Luneth said in a calm voice, "She is no child. She is the Onion Knight. To bear such a title is a great honor, showing one's bravery and strength. She'll be fine…"

"But…"

"We should get going," the other esper interjected.

"Right… Terra, do you still feel the presence?"

Terra looked around nervously. Tony also couldn't help but stiffen as he sensed the strange presence once again. It had been their guide ever since the start of their journey. They had decided that be it a crystal or not, they would follow it. "Yeah," she replied softly. "It's that way…" She pointed a slim pale finger towards one direction and Luneth nodded. He proceeded to lead the way, Terra following close behind.

Tony, on the other hand, hesitated for a bit. He looked out towards the direction where his comrade had disappeared to. When he had first met her, she was shy and insecure. He tried to cheer her up, managing a soft giggle to come out of her. Ever since the time they were sent to this conflict, they were always a team. He would always protect her, no matter what. He promised her that. But now, he was afraid of breaking that promise.

He could still sense the remains of her presence. He turned to where Terra and Luneth had gone and saw they were already far. He could follow her trail and might find her. He took a step towards Luna's direction, but shook his head. No, he believed in her. With one last look at the open space, he turned and headed towards Terra's direction.

"Guys, wait up!" he called.

"What took you so long?" Terra asked as he fell into step with her.

"I… got lost in my thoughts I guess…" Tony replied as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm worried about her too you know," she said, her voice nearly a whisper.

Tony sighed as he looked at the gray, cloudy sky.

"Yeah… but I believe in her."

* * *

_Major edit in this one! Whahaha! I'm basing the Odysseys on the twins m'kay?_


	6. Odyssey III:I

**Odyssey III:I**

Luna ran as fast as she could, away from Tony and the others. She could hear them calling her name, but she wouldn't dare go back. She knew they would follow her, so with a quick chant, she teleported. She didn't care where. All that mattered was that she was away from them. Away from Luneth.

She accepted that she was inexperienced. She could take the subtle blows to her pride, but she wouldn't have it from someone who should understand, who should be the one to know her the best. She was an Onion Knight, a hero to her world. She wouldn't care whether they treated her with respect or none at all. Just don't go as far as saying she was weak.

She closed her eyes as she casted a teleportation spell and opened them right after. She found herself in a place where the sky was littered with stars and cliffs characterizing the area. In some places, craters of different depths were present, making the whole place feel other worldly.

Luna laughed at the idea. Of course, this place _was_ from another world. After the brief amusement though, fear managed to strike her. It dawned her that she was now alone, with no one to depend on.

She cautiously started to walk. She didn't know where she was headed to, but she figured that it was better than staying and waiting for someone. Thankfully, she was able to sense a bit of the things going on around her. She could feel the faint presence of her comrades, distant as they were. The idea of heading towards them immediately presented itself, but she disregarded it. She had to prove she was strong enough.

She sensed another presence. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It felt nice. It felt as if it was calling her to come. "The crystal?" she asked out loud. Her mind told her no, but her instincts told her to follow it, and they got the better of her.

If it was the crystal, and got to it first, then maybe, just maybe… Luneth and the other wouldn't be fussing over her and keep leaving her out of battles. She nodded to herself. She had decided. She was going to follow it. With indecision leaving her mind, she started to trudge through the strange terrain. She was determined to get to the crystal without anybody's help.

"What do we have here? A lone warrior?" Luna turned and saw a woman in colorful clothing. She wore thick make up, making her look like a clown. The red around her lips were fashioned into a perpetual, demented smile, but her true lips were concealing any emotion that she could have felt. She shook her head sharply. "No… it's just a lone conscience…"

Luna acted on instinct and called out her sword. She steadily pointed it at the jester, anticipating anything. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous. She might seem weak in front of others, but in realty she was capable of taking care of herself.

The woman turned from side to side and lazily gazed at the young knight. "I'm just like you, longing to end this senseless conflict," the jester said. "I am a warrior of Chaos, worthy to be feared by others. But now, I am merely a pawn, no longer having the pride of a great villain."

"What are you talking about?" Luna asked, slightly lowering her sword. The clown had not yet attacked, so it gave her a reason not to initiate an unneeded battle, even if she was a Chaos warrior.

"Such emotions…" she murmured, shaking her head slowly. "What a waste… We're all doomed to the same fate, so why even bother to live? Why do you struggle and endure this pain when you can return to where you came from freely?"

"Where I came from?" Luna repeated.

The jester nodded. "Yes…" she sighed. "You do not have the choice. You will end up where you're from. No more struggles and problems." The woman turned to the side, her face still expressionless. Without a single word, she started to walk away.

Luna widened her eyes in surprise, her sword finally disappearing. "H-Hey! Where are you going?" she said as she reached out her hand, a lame attempt to stop the woman.

"It's calling me back. I need to go, or else, I'll be suffering a worse fate than I am now. Whether I like it or not, cannot stay away from him for long. It'll be a slow and painful death wish, not just for you, but for everyone else," she said sadly, not turning back even once.

"Wait! I don't know your name!"

The woman stopped. She turned her head slightly, casting a dark silhouette with the moon as her back drop. "I deserve no name since I would just fade away." She managed a warm, sincere smile, something that was still not appropriate for her clown get up. Unlike her clothes, her smile was calm and gentle as opposed to her clothing's chaotic arrangement. "But to be polite, they call me Kelpie."

"And they call me Luna," she said.

Kelpie laughed dryly. Her eyes glittered with something. Either anger or irritation, Luna was not able to determine. "Why try to establish an identity, when you are doomed to lose it in just a short period of time?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Such insolence. Do not waste your time and go back to where you rightfully belong! The likes of us have no place in this world!"

"This is nonsense! There's a war that's going on and I'm just going to stand by? If you hate what's happening now, then why don't you do something?"

"Because it is my role," Kelpie answered in a softer voice. Kelpie looked at the girl straight in the eyes and saw something special in her. She started to float into the air, fire balls resting on her hands. "Let me see your determination, Luna. I am already doomed, but you and your friends might have the chance to live."

Kelpie then sent the balls of fire flying towards the young knight. Luna evaded them and sent her own spell, making lightning come after the clown.

"This isn't needed!" Luna pleaded.

"If you want to live, then it is!" Kelpie shouted back. She sent a huge block of ice hurling towards her and Luna blocked it with her sword. The young knight jumped up into the air and barraged the mage with fast, numerous attacks. Kelpie winced at the cuts she got, but all were just shallow wounds. She retaliated with a light spell, making three triangles of light suddenly rush into the female knight. Luna barely escaped as she jumped away. The young warrior shot a bolt of ice towards the floating jester and hit her squarely on the abdomen.

"This ends now," Luna declared as she pointed her sword at the mage's throat.

"Indeed it does." Kelpie started to be engulfed by a dark aura. She carefully stood up and started to walk away again, her body slowly fading. "Don't worry, this isn't the end of the line for me. We'll meet again in less… pleasant circumstances I suppose." She flashed another kind smile and disappeared.

Luna started to trudge across the strange terrain, following the energy. All of a sudden, Kelpie's words crossed her mind.

_"It's calling me back."_

"What does she mean by that?" she asked herself out loud. She shook her head. She shouldn't be paying attention to some stranger's words, especially if it was a Warrior of Chaos.

She focused on the energy that was making her draw closer. _"It's calling me. It must be the crystal."_

_"The crystal is calling me."_


	7. Odyssey VII:I

**Odyssey VII:I**

"Now aren't you up in the clouds?" Claudine chimed as she stopped beside Cloud with her hands clasped behind her. Cloud just merely looked at her by the corner of his mind. Whether or not he was annoyed by the pun, she didn't know. The male ex-SOLDIER turned back to the abyss that lay before them. Claudine followed his gaze, trying to identify what he was possibly looking at.

Down below them was darkness. She couldn't see the bottom, nor even say there was a bottom. Whatever was down there, she knew it would be fatal to fall. All around them were floating towers of sorts. Blocks of concrete were everywhere. They had walked through the forest, stumbling upon the strange location. She had almost fallen if it weren't for Tina's warning.

Cloud heaved a sigh. "So are you going to tell me what's the matter, or do I have to guess?" Claudine prodded.

"I'm…" Cloud couldn't finish his sentence.

This time, Claudine was the one to sigh. She sat down on the thin layer of grass that covered the ground and started swinging her legs over the edge. "You're afraid, aren't you?" Cloud suddenly looked at her, eyes wide with shock. "You're afraid that if you keep fighting, you might lose another comrade, huh? You're scared because you don't know why you fight, right?" she said softly, her head tilted up at the star-littered sky. It was rare to see the stars in this world, let alone distinguish night from day with all the dark clouds. But here, when it's morning, the sun shone, and during the evening, the moon would replace it.

"You're…" The soldier widened his eyes, seemingly doubtful of the woman's sudden stroke of wisdom. Cloud shook his head. "You. You're like me, right? Maybe you can answer my questions. Why do _you_ fight?" Claudine turned her head to him with one eye open and a raised eyebrow. She looked like he had said something crazy.

"I thought you had already asked Firion and the others about that… Y'know, why we fight and all that," Claudine reminded him.

"Yeah, but I haven't heard an answer from you yet, Claudine," he said.

"Cloud, Cloud, Cloud," she said whilst shaking her head. "True, I am like you, that my knowledge of myself is as good as my knowledge of you… But, even I don't know why I fight," she whispered sadly. "Cosmos called us to fight because our worlds, my world, were in danger. Ain't that enough for a reason?" She quietly got up, her movements slow and deliberate. "But why am I not content?" she asked ominously as she looked up into the night sky.

Cloud looked at her carefully and saw an expression that he had limitedly seen on her face. She was very troubled, confused and lost. Her face was twisted into that of agony that could only be caused by a painful memory, one that she greatly regrets. "I started to hesitate in fighting when I lost someone who was very dear to me. I promised to protect that person, but I failed. I saw the person die right before my eyes. I could only blame no one but myself for letting it happen."

"I'm sorry…" Claudine sincerely said. "Hey, didn't Firion already say what he was fighting for? Frina and Firion are so alike, both dreaming for a world filled with wild roses…"

"Yeah, but…"

"But you don't like roses, huh? You like lilies," the woman right beside him said in a teasing voice. She was no longer trapped in the haunting memory, but rather, she was back to her normal, carefree self. Cloud's cheeks turned a light shade of red, making her smile softly. "Well, I'm off. I need my sleep and you need yours too. You can't always rely on that mako inside of you to keep you on your toes," she joked as she disappeared into a nearby corner. "In short, try to get some sleep okay?" she called out.

"You're gonna wake everyone," he replied in a whisper, though he couldn't help but be amused at the woman's antics. He turned around and tried to look for a place to sleep. Firion was supposed to be on the guard, giving him the time to rest. He fell asleep easily, but it was a little too soon when the sun decided to come up.

Sleep gave him an escape that he needed. He dreamt of a woman with brown hair and kind green eyes kneeling by a familiar flower patch inside an old worn down church. The woman turned around and smiled at him. Aerith. Her brown bangs swayed as she got up and started walking towards him. Cloud couldn't breathe as he saw her reach out for him.

"Wake up Cloud," a sweet voice said as he felt a warm, soft hand nudge him slightly. Cloud raised a confused eyebrow. "Cloud. Cloud?" The pushing became harder. "For the love of Cosmos, wake up already!"

Cloud burst his eyes open, seeing two glowing blue eyes staring directly into his. Claudine's eyebrows were pulled together at first, but she flashed a brilliant smile soon afterwards. "When I told you to get some sleep, I didn't expect you'd sleep in," she chimed as she helped him up.

"Sorry… I didn't realize I must've been tired," he said as he looked around.

"Oh, you might not want to leave this behind." Claudine lifted Cloud's Buster Sword effortlessly with one hand and gave it to him. "After all, it is a memento." The female soldier winked at him before she started to walk away. "Catch up, alright?"

Cloud nodded, even though he knew she wouldn't see the small the gesture. He stopped for a moment and was immediately lost in his thoughts. The wild rose was what Firion had to keep fighting, but he didn't have such a thing. Cloud still hadn't found the reason why he kept fighting. With confusion clouding his mind, he set off to find his comrades, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Did Firion tell you his dream?" Cecil said as he turned the soldier around.

"Yeah, he did," he replied. Cecil nodded to himself.

"He has a good dream," the paladin stated.

Cloud looked out into the abyss again. "But it's so… childish."

Cecil gave a good-hearted laugh. "To you, but for him, it is something he desires the most."

"What about you Cecil? Why do you fight?"

The paladin's gaze wandered away. He had a reason, but he knew it wasn't what Cloud was looking for. "I'm sorry, but my answer wouldn't be of much help to you," he said apologetically.

"Firion's dream… I wish I could find a reason," Cloud mumbled.

"Then why don't you go find it Cloud?" Tidus asked as he walked in on them. Right beside him was Firion and Tina while the rest were following them.

"Yeah… If it means that much to you, you should go," Firion said.

"Just do be careful," Cecilia cautioned. "Out there, nothing is what it seems."

"You're getting paranoid Cecilia. He's a grown man. He can take care of himself," Frina interjected.

"Hey, has anybody seen- Oh, never mind," Tina said as she finally noticed Claudine behind the two men. She was resting against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. Her foot was propped against the wall while she had an amused smile on her place. "You going with them?" she asked, her arms crossing. The ex-SOLDIER's smile widened, making the blitzballer smile. "Of course you are."

"Don't worry Tina. I'm not gonna go away forever. We'll meet again when we get our crystals," Claudine said in a light tone. She let a small, sweet smile escape her lips, eyes closing as she tilted her head to the side. "I can take care of myself. I saved my world so many times. How hard can saving myself be?"

Tina gave her a look of understanding. "Yeah, you're right. Take care then," she said as she turned and walked away, her hand waving. "See ya soon." Tidus looked at the two of them. Cloud was already walking towards Claudine, the latter laughing softly as the former approached. Tidus raised an eyebrow as he noticed his counterpart stop and turn. On her face was not the usual frown or any serious expression she had always worn, but a concerned smile with eyes that glimmered with caring. "Cloud, you watch her, okay? She's like a sister. We're a family here. If anything happens to her…" Tina's voice faded away, but Cloud understood.

"I… I promise to keep her safe." As the rest said their goodbyes, Cloud couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic. Once again, a valuable person was left in his care. Once again, he had promised to protect that person no matter what. Now, he thought, _'Once again, will I lose that person?'_

Claudine seemed to sense her companion's brooding and decided to snap him out of it. "So, I have a friend back home that's like Tina. Oddly enough, they have similar names. She was all motherly and was always concerned. Only difference was that Tina hides the fact that she cares," she laughed.

"It's always like that when they know that there's a possibility for a person for that to do something crazy or stupid," Cloud responded. "I also have someone back home who's really concerned."

"Yeah…" The female soldier sighed as she looked up at the rolling clouds. The sky was bright and beautiful. The clouds were lazily crossing its blue expanse, only to disappear into the nearby darkness. "I kinda miss them…"

"When this war's over, we can go home y'know," Cloud reminded her.

Claudine brightened up at the thought. "You're right!" she exclaimed happily. "So let's get going!" she cheered as she started to run. There was a walkway that connected the main building to the forest, enabling them to cross. She gleefully headed straight for the woods, Cloud right behind her.

"_The sooner this is over, the sooner I can see them again. Don't worry Teef, I'm going to save the world again one last time."_

_

* * *

_

_It's that time of the year again. Christmas is only a few weeks away and the weather's already getting colder. Are you guys saving up already for gifts and goodies?_

…

_God, I sound like some TV advertisement._

_Review please XD_


	8. Odyssey III:II

**Odyssey III:II**

"W-What?" Luna murmured as she awakened from her sleep. With blurry green eyes, she scanned her surroundings. It was dark that much was clear. She could hear no rustle of the leaves, telling her that she was not in the thick forest. The pain that shot through her head was what made her remember what had happened the night before.

She was walking through the woods that uncharacteristically merged with the rocky landscape where she had encountered Kelpie. She had marched through the dark, damp forest, encountering a few manikins. They proved to be less than a challenge. They had been easily defeated, though what troubled her was the last she had killed. It had grinned, as if to mock her. It had dodged every single swing of her sword before she settled with a rain of fire to end its existence. They were learning.

Luna looked up at the sky through much more clearer eyes. She could recognize ruins this time. Pillars that were already tumbled down were placed at the sides, an attempt to support the crumbling ceiling. A throne-like structure was at the opposite end of the door which served as an entrance. _'Right,'_ she nodded to herself. _'I accidentally stepped on a brittle tile when I was taking a look…' _Her thoughts stopped when she realized that she was beneath the way she had come.

Even if it sounded crazy to her, she could hear voices. At first she thought it was a trick of her mind, but when she listened more closely, she pinpointed it to be coming from above. If that wasn't enough, she heard multiple explosions from the surface. She immediately got onto her feet and tried to scale one of the walls. She peeked her head into one of the holes and widened her eyes when she saw Luneth up against Terra and Tony. She could see by the expression of the other knight's face that staying alive was a hard task right now.

Luneth was blade to blade with Tony, completely unaware of Terra who was casting a spell right behind him. Out of impulse, Luna jumped in and pushed the female esper away. There was a momentary pause when Tony and Luneth recognized her. "Luna!" the Onion Knight sighed in relief as he pushed the man he was up against a good distance away.

"Luneth, what's going on?" the girl said as she drew out her sword, ready to fight. "They're acting strange!" Luna took a stance as she watched every movement Terra made.

"They're not themselves Luna. They must be being controlled!" Luneth said as he worriedly looked back and forth from Luna and the two espers who were quietly watching them with blank, narrowed eyes. "We can't take them on. Not with-"

"Shut it Luneth!"

The boy looked in utter shock at the girl beside him. He closely looked at her and saw something different. She was serious. Her green eyes were sharper and brighter and her grip on her sword was without any hesitation.

"I am no weakling. I'm sick and tired of people protecting me. I'll show you I'm strong by getting the crystal," she stated with much determination. Terra launched five spheres of white energy that started to come after them. Luna effortlessly blocked them while Luneth chose to dodge the attack. Luna casted an ice spell and sent a block of ice hurling towards the female esper.

Terra dodged and countered with letting lightning rain down on them. Luneth pushed his counterpart out of the way and received much of the damage. Tony took the opportunity and made water burst from the ground. Luneth couldn't do anything. Luna hesitated for a moment. She couldn't hurt her protector, but she would never allow him to hurt her counterpart. She chose to help Luneth and went charging towards the male mage.

Tony was caught by surprise, not expecting her to hurt him in any way. Luna landed quick and precise attacks on him and sent him flying up into the air. She was about to follow with thunder spell, but Luna was sent crashing into a wall, accompanied by a burning sensation on her back.

Terra retracted her hand after releasing a huge ball of fire. Luneth charged as he regained footing but stopped in his tracks when he saw the two magical beings clasp their heads and curl up in pain. "Terra?" the young knight called out as he watched the young woman fall to the floor. "Terra!"

"Tony!" Luna shrieked as she limped towards the lying body. The crash might have broken something, but she needed to make sure her friend was alright. "Tony! Talk to me. It's me, Luna!" She widened her eyes when she saw him slowly disappear. "Luneth!" she tried to call, but a dark laughter echoed throughout the place, drowning her already strained voice.

A dark mist started to form around them, swirling around. They condensed into two beings, a male and a female. The Cloud of Darkness, beings that served as the embodiment of fear and swore to return the world back to nothingness. They bore no name except for their title. "Now what do we have here?" the female asked in a smug tone.

"You!" the two knights shouted in unison.

"What have you done to them?" Luneth demanded.

"Why, we saved them from you," she told them with a tone that was bordering between arrogant and overly proud. She spoke with mystery in her voice, though she made it clear that she had something up her sleeve. "You would've killed them if we haven't interfered."

"We would never!" Luna denied. "We won't-"

"Then tell us why you came here when your friend was already reluctant, hm?" the female creature asked, her eyes focused on Luneth. One could not truly say they were human, even though the two looked like one.

"What're you…" Luna's green eyes widened in realization. "You brought them here even if they… You… You should've known!" Luna scolded. "They were already… Tony and Terra… They were already troubled and you still came? Why?" she demanded.

"I… I…" Luneth couldn't answer, be it the truth or a made up excuse. He didn't see it. He didn't notice the tell tale signs that they were not comfortable with his decision of moving towards this direction. Tony had tried to speak up, but Luneth was too stubborn. Now, as he looked back, he finally recalled the sudden glances to each other and the nervousness in Terra's voice.

Every time he had asked them for directions, they would hesitate. It was as if they were waiting for each other's approval. Terra would start to speak, but then hesitated even before she was able to say anything definite. Tony, on the other hand was a bit more capable of hiding his uncertainty. He was able to pass things of, but now that the Cloud of Darkness had shown him his mistakes, he was able to think and see clearly all the things he had ignored.

"She's right you know… It was your fault. The reason why this girl had run. The reason why your friends are now with me. It's because of your own foolishness." The Cloud of Darkness looked to her side and noticeably frowned at the man beside her. He was slim, but well-built. His skin and hair was as pale as hers, but their similarities ended with their appearance. "Speaking of the foolish… Do you have anything to say before we leave these two to their miserable lives?"

The man looked from side to side warily before focusing on Luna, now serious and braver. "You and me, in the end, we shall all come back to where we came from. To establish an identity I did not try for I would lose it soon, but you… Do not cloud your minds with the thoughts of freedom," he calmly, but coldly, said. The woman widened her eyes at the meaning of those words but immediately relaxed when she noticed the child's confusion.

The dark mist returned as the woman waved her hand. "If you want your friends back, come and face me," she said with a parting chuckle.

Luna was frozen to her spot as she tried to comprehend what her adversary had told her. It was very similar to what Kelpie had said. She could have passed it off as coincidence, but something in her gut told her it wasn't. They were trying to tell her something, but she couldn't understand. "What do we do now?" she absent-mindedly asked.

"I… I honestly don't know…" Luneth quietly said with his head low.

"Shouldn't we go off and save Terra and Tony?" Luna stated. "We don't know what they might do to them."

"We will…" the young knight said. "But…" The young boy hesitated. He wasn't sure whether or not he could take the witch head on. Even though he showed bravery, in his own heart was doubt that made him falter from time to time.

"But what?" Luna insisted. Her patience was growing thin. Luneth had disappointed her twice and she wasn't going to let things get worse. The young girl could feel the tears coming. Her heart tightened as she felt the warm liquid build up in her eyes. "Why? Why are you so stupidly scared?" she blurted out.

Luneth's head shot up. "I am not afraid!" he stated angrily.

"Then why hesitate to come after them?" she continued to ask, her voice threatening to grow louder. The young knight in front of her merely glared. With a huff, Luneth turned, his cape flowing right behind him. "Where are you going?" she asked, now bewildered.

"To save Terra and your friend. You wanted to, right?" he said in a cold voice. Luna slowly lowered her head. "Let's get moving."

"Right," she mumbled under her breath.

As they walked quietly out the door Luna had seen earlier, Luna couldn't help but think. She had followed the energy, thinking it was the crystal, but why did it lead her to Luneth? Now that she had found him, she could no longer sense anything.

After she had separated from the group, it was as if something went missing. From time to time, her whole body felt like an empty shell while she stared into space. It was as if, she had lost her meaning, her guide, as to what to do next. She felt incomplete, but now, with him, she couldn't help but wonder…

"_Why do I feel complete when I'm with him?"_

_

* * *

_

_It's 1:42 am and I just watched 3 movies from 9 o clock. I saw The Uninvited, Final Destination 4 and Harold and Kumar Escape from…. Something-Something Bay._

_..._

_Why am i saying this again? *shruggs*_

_Yeah, I'm beat, but hey, I wanted to finish this chap._

_BTW, I don't know how to name the Cloud of Darkness. Unlike Warrior of Light, I can't use Cloud then Darkness. Then Cloud(CoD) could be confused with our all time favorite chocobo head. XD_


	9. Odyssey IV:II

**Odyssey IV:II**

A man in a clown costume lazily laid down on one of the many metal platforms that were present. He turned from side to side before settling with his back to the hard floor. He heard footsteps echo off the metal walls and looked up. "Who is it~?" Kefka chimed in his usual manner of speaking.

"It's me~" a female voice called. Kefka brightened up at the familiar voice.

"Gabby!" the clown exclaimed in happiness as a woman in dark blue armor came into view. She had long silver hair and violet eyes. A helmet was in her hands. "How's my favorite girl?"

The mage smiled. "Just peachy," she replied in a high pitched voice. "Golbez has been a real pain in the ass and… well, I got fed up with his long lonesome self and decided to switch crowds," she said with a shrug. "So, what's the latest plan of Mr. Destruction?"

"We~ell… Fam and Frit have been toying with an old friend of mine," he said rather thoughtfully, but he still was able to maintain his jovial tone.

"Oh?" the woman - Gabby - said in mild amusement. "And you're okay with them beating the poor esper up?"

"Puh-leaze Gabriella, I won't let her _die_. It's just some destructive fu~un," the jester said as he rolled his eyes. "She's gonna be scared at wit's and when I deal with her!"

"Good for you, you get to have some fun," Gabriella complained rather childishly. "Ces is a real pain… She's all 'light' yadda, yadda, 'darkness' yadda, yadda… Makes me sick!" she spat. "Same with Golbez! He clings to the light like an insect even though he knows he has no hope." She chuckled darkly to herself as a thought crossed her mind. "None of them do. There is only chaos and destruction," she chuckled.

"Right you are my dear friend! Right you are!" Kefka beamed as he jumped down and wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulder as they both laughed at the havoc that has yet to come.

* * *

"Is there anything wrong Cecil?" Firion asked as he noticed his comrade's apparent lack of attention to their conversation. The group stopped and turned to the paladin in question. They had been traveling for quite some time now and found themselves to what looked like a building of some sort. The floor they were standing on was crumbling, making a throne room visible through the gaping holes. Crumble rock littered both above and in the throne room, remnants of pillars and floors that have fallen due to age.

Cecil looked up, his face showing slight confusion. "What? Oh, nothing," he mumbled out. "It was just that my brother…"

"Oh yeah," Frina interjected. "You have a sibling as an enemy. That's gotta be tough on you- Ouch!" Frina glared at Tina who had elbowed her in the side. Tina shot her a glance that said she needed to apologize. "I'm sorry if I offended you if it was a sensitive topic."

"No, it's alright. I'm already used to it," Cecil reassured them. "It's just that he had approached me one time and gave me advice on how I could get my crystal."

"He what?" Tidus exclaimed. "Ain't he the enemy?"

"Yes, he is but.." Cecil didn't know how to continue.

"Well, do you trust him?" Cecilia asked, speaking for the first time, with a harsh coldness in her voice. Cecil stared at her. The female paladin frowned. "Do you trust him?" she repeated, harsher.

"Yes…" the male paladin whispered.

"Figures…" Cecila muttered.

"Now, now Ces," Frina said, "let's not get too carried away. Like Cecil said, it's nothing personal."

"Yeah, whatever," she muttered as she walked away to get some peace of mind. The men watched her with confusion evident in their faces while the women just sadly shook her head. It seemed as though the ladies knew something that the men didn't.

"Please forgive her," Tina spoke up, feeling the need to apologize for their friend's behavior. "Unlike you, Cecil, Gabriella is a very sensitive topic for her."

Tidus looked at her questioningly. "Gabriella's her sister?" The female blitzball player nodded.

Tina turned to her friend and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Frina, would you mind checking on her? Just check that she won't do anything stupid will you?" The weapons specialist nodded before running after the paladin.

"Would you mind explaining?" Firion asked.

Tina plopped down onto the floor and crossed her legs. "Well, I shouldn't be saying personal stuff about people… but I'll give you a vague idea of what she told us." Tina motioned for them to sit down around her and started her story. "You see, Ces, according to her, was pretty devoted to her sister. She stuck up for her and tried to make everyone see her in a better light. Pretty much like you now Cecil."

"Then why does she seem to dislike talking about her?" Cecil prodded.

"Hmm… How do I put this?" she mumbled as she rubbed the back of her head. She turned her gaze to Cecil and an idea popped into her head. "Cecil, describe your brother."

"Why would he-"

"Shut up Tidus. I'm not asking you."

The paladin looked at them nervously. "You can say that he's pretty caring despite of what he looks like. Back home, he was evil, but it was all because of someone controlling him."

"I see…" the blitzball player mumbled. "If you asked Ces that, she'd say that Gabriella was a heartless woman who was bent on destruction and chaos. She'd say that she completely denies her as her sister."

"She hates her that much?" Firion said. The blond nodded. "But why?"

"Tina!" The said person quickly turned and saw Frina running towards them. "We have a problem Tina!"

Tina rose to her feet and grabbed the woman by the shoulders. "Calm down and tell me what happened." Frina took in a deep breath and started relaying the events she had witnessed. Apparently, Cecilia was off staring into space when Gabriella showed up. Frina wasn't able to hear what they were talking about, but she saw by Cecilia's expression that it was something that their comrade wasn't pleased about.

"So you're saying that she went off with her?" Tidus asked to clear up the cloud that was covering his mind.

"Umm… No, but Ces looked like she was about to charge at her…" Frina quietly said. As if right on cue, Cecilia came into view and appeared to be uninjured. A bit dirty, yes, but uninjured. "Ces?"

"I hope you weren't spreading any rumors Frina. It was just a conversation that got a little intense that's all," the paladin said as she neared them.

"What did you talk about?" Tina asked.

"Unbelievably, she came to give me advice," she calmly said, shrugging. "I still don't trust her," she told them, as if hearing the thoughts that were stirring in their minds. "We should better get going. If we want to get those crystals quickly, we need to cover more ground." None of them complained and started walking.

Cecilia continued to keep to herself, a frown forming on her face as she replayed her encounter with Gabriella in her mind…

* * *

"_How's my lil' sis doin'?" a dark armored woman greeted as she walked out from a dark portal._

"_Gabriella!" Cecilia exclaimed. "What're you doing here?" she demanded, her eyes narrowed and her hand ready to grasp out for her lance._

"_Please, I'm not here to hurt you. Not yet." Gabriella chuckled to herself. "I just wanted to tell you that if you want your crystal, you'll need to get away from those chums," she said as she pointed her thumb towards the direction of her comrades. "In order to get your crystal, you need to find it on your own."_

"_But what about Cecil?" the paladin asked._

"_What about him?" the other woman replied. "Oh, it's up to you… It wouldn't matter anyway. If you choose to go with him or not, you'll still fade either way. The other road's just more painful…" Cecilia glared at her sister. She couldn't understand what she meant, but she knew it meant that she would lose while her sister would win._

"_You're just trying to confuse me," she stated. "You're doing it again with your words."_

_Gabriella shook her head. "Oh no… It's true. You'll fade. Tina and Frina will fade. Jenneth and the Empress will fade. The likes of you will fade, except for me. Golbez would go in my stead," she said rather smugly._

"_Jenneth? The Empress? You mean-"_

"_You're correct. Tina's mother and Frina's adversary," the woman in dark armor said. "There's no hope for them; there's no hope for you. I will rise from among you and Golbez would be gone with you."_

"_What do you mean 'fade'? What is it that you know!" Cecilia demanded from her older sister. The woman in front of her chuckled, though her helmet hid her smug smile. "Tell me!"_

"_It appears as if I have said too much…" she chuckled. "But then again, what's the difference if you knew?" Another black portal appeared and Gabriella started to walk towards it. "See you next time, lil' sis."_

"_Oh no you don't!" Cecilia charged with her lance, but she was too late. The portal had already disappeared, causing her to stumble and land on the ground. She frustratingly threw her lance away as it disappeared into tiny particles of light. "Gabriella…" she muttered as she stood up. She noticed a slight movement from the corner of her eye and turned to see Frina's running form. "Tina.." she groaned as she realized she must have sent Frina to check on her._

_She groaned as she turned and headed back to the others…_

* * *

Cecilia gritted her teeth. How dare she say something like that? It was infuriating for her. Cecilia thought about what her sister had said long and hard. It didn't make sense to her, but it had to. She felt like she was missing an important piece to a puzzle. It was frustrating as she tried to understand.

"_She said fade away… What does that mean?"_ It was obvious that she meant defeated, but fade… It meant that she would disappear. They would vanish. She also said something about Golbez taking her place which made no sense at all.

"_We'll fade? We'll disappear? Is that it?"_

* * *

_Thanks Ghost Writer for the info. I checked into it and I saw that it was an esper from FFXII. Well not actually FFIII, I'll use it to make it easier to identify between the two. Thanks very much!_

_Forgive me if this was boring, bad or anything in between. I just wrote this down in one sitting and it's 1:20 in the morning…_

_Sleepy, sleepy sleep…_


	10. Odyssey IX:I

**Odyssey IX:I**

"I thought this was gonna be a race…" Breeze sighed as she walked down the rusty metal hallways. Earlier, the two boys had challenged each other to a race. First one gets their crystal, wins. Unfortunately for Breeze and Zina, they had been dragged into the childish game.

"It is!" Bartz argued.

Zina rolled her eyes. "Then why are we still travelling together?" she asked in a rather bored tone.

"Why? Would you prefer to split up? You with me and Breeze with Bartz?" Zidane suggested smugly. He already knew what they would say.

"Hell no!" the two ladies cried in unison. The two looked at each other with frightened looks on their faces. For them, being with each other was the only thing that helped them cling onto sanity.

The two men laughed at the girls' reaction. Bartz continued to stride forward and caught sight of a glittering object floating and rotating in mid-air. "Hey, a crystal!" The wanderer was about to run after and get it, but someone had grabbed his wrist. He turned and saw Breeze glaring intently at him. "Let go Breeze! I'm gonna win this race!"

"Bartz, it might be a trap!" the female brunet pointed out. Bartz ignored her and instead of trying to shake the woman off, he resorted to dragging her along. "Bartz!" she called once again as she dug the heels of her feet into the metal floor, an effort to slow him down, but it provided no traction.

"Bartz!" another voice called, Zidane. Breeze widened her eyes as she saw her counterpart take hold of the crystal. A bright light surrounded them before they disappeared into thin air.

"Breeze!" Zina called, but it was already too late. They were gone. A maniacal laugh echoed throughout the area making the hairs on the backs of the two genomes stand on their ends. "Who's there?" the female genome demanded.

"'Who's there?'" a high-pitched voice repeated, mocking Zina. "Whoops! It looks like we nabbed the wrong person!" the voice said. A man, no, a clown came bouncing into view, a disturbing smile on his face. He stopped in front of the two genomes and looked at them. "Yup, wrong person!" He turned to the side with his mouth open, as if to talk to someone, but immediately frowned when he saw no one. "Come down here!" he ordered in a much gruffer, angrier voice as he pointed a pale finger to the spot beside him.

Zidane turned to the dark area where the clown was looking at and saw another clown emerge from the shadows. This time, the jester was a female with a solemn look on her face. Unlike the man, the smile that was outlined by the makeup was very inappropriate for the frown on her face. She calmly made her way down, choosing to walk rather than bouncing like the other chose to.

"Any time soon?" The woman picked up her pace and soon stood beside the man.

"Kefka, Kuja's plan has failed," she stated calmly as she assessed the people in front of her. The statement earned her a hit on the head.

"I know you idiot!" Kefka muttered.

"Where's Bartz?" Zidane demanded. He felt someone nudge him and turned to see a Zina with an eyebrow raised. "Oh yeah, and the girl Bartz!" Zina hit him harder this time. "I mean, uh, Breeze!"

"Kelpie would you care to explain?" Kefka offered. Kelpie opened her mouth to talk but Kefka snapped his fingers right in front of her face. "Oops! Too slow!" he teased. He then turned to the two genomes. "I'm afraid your friends are SMACK-dab in the middle of enemy territory," he crooned.

"Zidane, we've got to find them," Zina whispered.

"Don't worry, we will."

"Sorry, but we can't let you!" Kefka said as he floated up in the air, "Right Kelpie?"

The woman looked up tiredly at the jester and nodded. "I will resent this, but it seems as though I have no choice," she mumbled as she jumped up to higher ground. Her hands started to glow orange and fire soon formed on them.

"Right you are!" Kefka cackled as he prepared his own balls of fire. "We're gonna have a blast!" Without any other word, he threw the fireballs right at them. Zina and Zidane jumped to opposite directions, each summoning their daggers. Kefka chased after Zina, laughing maniacally all the way. "Run, run, run as fast as you can lil' monkey!"

Zina turned and jumped off of one of the metal pillars and charged right towards Kefka. She crossed her daggers in front of her and as soon as she made contact, she drew them, making a nasty bloody cross on the jester's chest.

"Ow, that hurts!" he complained. He glared at the tailed girl and said in a gruff voice, "You're gonna get yours!" Multiple triangles of light came crashing towards Zina, hitting her and sending her flying up into the air. Kefka followed with lightning falling and landing a direct hit on Zina. The genome managed to land on one of the ramps and took another fighting stance as she breathed heavily.

Kelpie sent three fireballs towards Zidane in quick succession, all of them homing towards the genome. After that attack however, she made a run for it, escaping to one of the darker, but closed areas of the place. Zidane rushed in, expecting an attack, but in a few swift movements, he found himself unarmed. His daggers fell to the floor, creating a clanking sound of metal against metal. He saw a foot kick them away and glared at the woman. He clenched his hands into fists and took a stance. He wasn't good at hand-to-hand, but he might at least try.

"I do not want to fight you," Kelpie said bluntly. Zidane stopped and stared for a moment before shaking his head and taking his stance. The jester sighed. "I am telling the truth. Whether I lose or win, it will mean nothing as long as it would be the likes of you."

"What are you talking about?" Zidane asked, lowering his guard ever so slightly.

"It is not my place to speak, but even if I did, you wouldn't understand," she sighed. She turned towards the sound of explosions and crouched down, picking up the daggers. Zidane widened his eyes and prepared to fight, but Kelpie just offered him his weapons back. "Here, go help her," she instructed, gently pushing him back into the battlefield. "Although she won't die, she _will_ lose. His strength is too much for the likes of her."

"What about you?" Zidane asked, hesitating. "Why are you doing this?"

"You are not for me to fight," she stated bluntly. "I will definitely lose against you anyway. Now, go."

"Wouldn't the clown get mad at you?" he asked once again.

Kelpie sighed at his unnecessary concern. "Yes, he will, but he can only do so much to hurt me." With one final push, she sent Zidane out into the open. Zidane, overcoming his shock, turned and blocked an incoming attack from Kefka.

Kefka grunted at the newcomer and sent a block of ice raging towards him. Zina blocked it and casted her own lightning spell. The jester managed to avoid it, but he got caught in Zidane's spell. He felt the electricity run up and down his body, making him convulse. Added to that, water burst up beneath him, sending him crashing into the ceiling. Zina followed up with multiple strikes from her daggers. The genome widened her eyes when she felt something pierce her abdomen.

"No fair!" Kefka whined as he kicked the stunned genome away and descended onto one of the raised platforms. "Two against one! Kelpie!"

"She's gone! I defeated her!" Zidane lied as he rushed towards Zina's falling figure. He caught her and landed on one of the ramps. He gently rested her body and started to conjure up what little healing spells he knew.

"You're lying~" Kefka chimed. "I would've known if she got beaten." Zidane froze for a moment, but continued to work soon afterwards. Kefka entertained the idea of finishing them off, but Kuja wouldn't like that very much. "Kelpie, wherever you are, we're going!" he called out. He turned to the two genomes, an evil smirk on his face. "Toodles~!"

Zidane turned and just saw the remains of a flash of light. He could still hear the jester's mad laugh echo and bounce off the metal walls, but he chose to ignore it and continued to assess the damage on Zina's body. She had a huge puncture wound on her abdomen and blood was slowly oozing out of it. "Zina, are you alright?" he asked, an attempt to keep the girl conscious. A fist came into contact with his face.

"Well that was a stupid question," Zina muttered as she sat up and wiped away the blood that trickled down the side of the mouth. "Of course I'm not alright!" She widened her eyes and went into a coughing fit. She covered her mouth with her hands and when she checked it, there was blood. She wiped it off on the floor and started to heal herself. She placed her hand on the wound and it started glowing green.

"Let me do it," Zidane offered. "You should be resting."

"Yeah right…" she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Get away you pervert!"

Zidane frowned at the comment. "Hey, I admit that I flirt a lot, but I am no pervert! No let me treat our wound."

"I am- Ouch!" Zidane raised an eyebrow, a smug smile on his face. Zina glared at the genome in front of her. "Fine!" she sighed in defeat.

"You should rest for a the mean time while I take care of this wound. You'll need it," Zidane said.

"Whatever," Zina mumbled. She turned her head to the side, well out of Zidane's sight, to hide her blush when she felt his light touch. "What about Breeze and Bartz?" she whispered.

"We'll get to that, but first-"

"Yeah, yeah… I need to get this wound closed and rest up," she interjected. "Just hurry up!" Zidane chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, you're just a bit talkative for someone who's supposed to be in pain," Zidane mentioned.

"Fine. I'll just shut up then!" Zina stated as she crossed her arms over her chest, making her wince.

The male genome rolled his eyes in amusement. He had never seen this side of her. Sure, she was still the short-tempered genome he knew, but she was way too talkative compared to her usual self. He usually found her quietly conversing with Breeze, but now that she's gone, she had no one to share her thought to except him. Zidane sighed inwardly and focused on what he was doing.

Zina's thoughts drifted to her missing friend. She was terribly worried about her well-being. She was so focused on how to save Breeze when she felt tiredness slowly creep in. A yawn escaped her lips, making her cover her mouth out of instinct.

"Get some sleep," Zidane instructed.

"I don't need you to tell me what to do!" Zina muttered, making him chuckle even more. She just rolled her eyes. _"How can he find amusement in this?"_ She felt the pain on her abdomen lessen and the effects of fatigue kick in. She had to admit, she needed rest. With one last yawn, she crossed her arms behind her head, a makeshift pillow. Uncomfortable, yes, but it was all that she had except for the hard cold metal floor. A fleeting thought ran through her mind before she finally fell asleep…

"_We'll find you Breeze. Just hang on…"_

_

* * *

_

_Yeah, another late night chapter. _

_Sleep… I… need… sleep…_


	11. Odyssey V:I

**Odyssey V:I**

"Ugh…" Breeze moaned as she sat up. She didn't feel any pain except for her throbbing head. She pried her eyes open, only to widen them at her surroundings. Gone were the closed metal walls. They were replaced by the open, grass-covered floating castle that she knew all too well. _"The Rift?"_ She heard a moan behind her and turned on instinct. "Bartz?" All of a sudden, everything crashed back into her mind. The crystal was a trap. "Bartz, are you alright?" she asked as she crawled closer to the lying figure.

The man groaned. "I think so…" Bartz pushed himself off of the ground. Soft slender hands took hold of his arms, helping him sit. "Thanks." The mimic turned his head from side to side and looked at the woman inquisitively. "Are we where I think we are?" Breeze nodded. Their heads shot up when they heard the faint echoes of footsteps.

"We better hide," Breeze voiced out, although it came out hoarse. She stood up, offering a hand to her comrade and pulled him onto his feet. She didn't let go of his hand and dragged him behind one of the corners.

"Who's-"

"Shh!" Breeze peered over the wall and saw four people. Two of them looked like clowns while the other two had silver tails. _"Zina and Zidane's siblings?"_ she thought to herself. She turned to Bartz and pointed a thumb toward the Warriors of Chaos, asking him to look. "The ones with tails are Zina's and Zidane's sibling right?"

The mimic narrowed his eyes, focusing them on the group. "Yeah, but what could they possibly be talking about?" The two tried to listen and heard their names. "They're talking about us?"

"Judging by the male monkey's frown, the trap failed. It must've been for Zidane," Breeze concluded. The female genome turned their way, her eyes widening when they made eye contact. Breeze immediately readied herself for any incoming attack, but to her surprise, the genome had just turned away. After a few more moments of conversing, the group had quietly walked away with the exception of the male clown's deranged laugh. "They're gone," Breeze announced, taking in a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Did you manage to hear anything?" Bartz asked.

The woman looked down and shook her head. "Just something about another trap for Zidane," Breeze said softly.

"We should better go and warn them then," the mimic declared. "Let's get going!" Bartz took the lead, breaking into a jog. Breeze grunted and hurried to keep up with him.

"What we should do is to think things through. We might run into unwanted company," Breeze warned, her face in a frown. Bartz, to her, could be compared to a hyperactive child. He rushed into things without any second thoughts, a trait she greatly disliked.

"Loosen up Breeze!" the man chimed. "We can take anyone, especially when we have the others' skills," he said with a wink. Breeze rolled her eyes.

"_We are so going to get in trouble…"_

_

* * *

_

Kajie sighed. She was tired with Kuja's elaborate, yet pathetic in her opinion, plans on how to trap his brother. It seemed as though the male genome was trying to prove something. Kajie frowned at her counterpart's arrogance. She glanced to the side and noticed Kelpie staring into space. The jester had proven to be a welcome acquaintance. In fact, Gabriella, or Gabby as Kefka called her, was the only one who actually tried to defy the laws. The genome shook her head. _"She should know better…"_

"You seem to be up in the clouds today," Kelpie whispered, a faint smile on her face. It was rare to see the jester smile and she had a reason why. In a world full of illusions and hurt, how could anyone smile? She had lived with a man who was bent on destruction and was convinced there was nothing more than despair. Who could blame her?

Kajie looked up in front, making sure their counterparts were a good distance away. "I saw Breeze back there," she replied just as quietly, nudging her head back down the path they had taken.

Kelpie shook her head, a sad expression on her face. "Poor people… If they only knew what was waiting for them… " She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and turned to see her friend, a soft smile on her face and a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"They'll get through it, though I'm more concerned on what happens after…" Kajie drifted off.

"Indeed…" Kelpie's mind went back to when they were conversing about their plans. Kuja had first wanted to use Squall as bait, Kajie being dragged along as consequence. The gunblader, along with his companion, proved to be too much for the genome to capture and had settled on using the mimic instead… and he still planned to.

"Any new from the others?" Kajie asked after a few moments of silence.

"The Emperor had started his plan…" Kajie reported. "Golbez is trying to make contact with Luneth."

"Fam's adversary?"

The genome nodded. "He's straying, doubting… Golbez, as we speak, is making an effort to get him back in line. The girl with him is a bit more dependable, but due to her nature… It's risky."

"Yes," the jester agreed, "I've spoken with the girl once. She shows determination, but she could easily be confused."

"Gabriella, on the other hand, chose to be stubborn and ignorant. She could not accept the fact that we have only one fate," Kajie said in an almost angry voice. Even though they had explained to her numerous times, Gabriella stood firm.

"True, she has become a liability, but nothing would change whether or not she accepts it. It has already been decided after all," Kelpie stated. "It would bring her only more pain. Our existence, after all, is too delicate… fragile."

"Jenneth has started to persuade Jecht. The man has light within him."

"Ah yes… Golbez and Jecht are on our side. It's a mystery how Jenneth has resigned herself to her fate while a certain someone hasn't," the jester managed to chuckle. "But then again, Jecht seems to still be in the dark."

"What are you two talking about back there?" a haughty voice said. The two women turned and saw Kuja eyeing them suspiciously while Kefka looked at them with curiosity. "Pick up your pace. This is no time for old-ladies' tales." The two nodded slightly and chose to float towards them instead of running. It was, after all, faster.

"So, what were you talking about?" Kefka prodded as he leaned closer to them, much to their discomfort.

"None of your business," the two replied in unison.

The jester huffed, offended by their harsh retort. "Fine! Be that way!" he exclaimed in a rather immature manner. The two women rolled their eyes.

"_What did we do to deserve this?"_

_

* * *

_

"Bartz, do you know where we are?" Breeze looked about, her eyebrows pulled together at the unfamiliar terrain. They had gotten out of The Rift and had entered a dense forest.

Bartz shook his head. He gazed up into the sky and noticed the darkening skies. "It's getting darker by the minute. We should find somewhere to turn in for the night before the light finally fades."

"Finally! Something reasonable!" Breeze exclaimed. The mimic frowned at her reaction but the woman ignored it. "There, that cliff face," she said, pointing at a solid wall of rock. A dark jagged line run down its length, widening as it descended. "By my guess, it's only a mile away. The crack might give us some shelter."

Bartz narrowed his eyes at the rock formation and nodded. "Yeah, that'll do." He turned to his companion and beamed at her. "Race you there!" he chuckled as he broke into a run. Breeze widened her chocolate brown eyes as she watched him run. With a soft chuckle, a smile crept into her lips and she was off as well. "You're not gonna beat me!" she heard him taunt.

"Yeah right!_" _she sighed as she jumped over a fallen log. Bartz looked over his shoulder and smiled at the woman. He didn't notice the incoming tree and ran right into it with full force. Breeze winced at the sound of collision. She thought of stopping and checking if he was alright, but when she saw him stand up, she just shrugged and ran past him.

"No fair!" the mimic said as he continued on. Breeze just laughed at his childishness and skidded to a stop in front of the dark crevice. Luckily, nothing had seemed to hear their giddy laughter as they tried to outdo each other.

"I win!" Breeze happily declared. Bartz came panting right after her.

"Yeah, yeah," he chuckled. After a few gasps of air, he walked right over to the cave and inspected it. It was dark and a bit cold inside, but it would provide them a place to stay for the night. "Yeah, this'll be good enough."

"We need fire though," Breeze pointed out. "I'll go get some wood and you make sure it's safe enough," she instructed. Bartz looked at her oddly before he went into the cave. Breeze sighed as she ventured back into the woods. To her luck, she found numerous dry branches scattered about on the ground. She gathered them and was able to get back to the cave in record time. "Bartz?" she called.

"In here," a voice said, coming from the cave. Breeze was about to go in when Bartz came out. "It's safe enough," he stated. He eyed the sky before turning back to the woman. "Good thing you came. If you came any later, it would already be too dark to see. Gimme those." In one swift motion, he took the bundle of wood from breeze and took them inside the cave. One moment later, a fire was crackling to life, casting a faint orange glow in the darkness.

Breeze sat down by the wall, resting her head on the cold hard surface. She felt tired. They had been walking about all day and rest would be a welcome change. She was used to travelling, but here, she felt weaker than she remembered. "I'm turning in. You keep watch," she ordered. "Just wake me up if you need any help."

"Sure. Nighty-night Breezie," Bartz cooed. He winced a moment later when he felt something hit his cheek and saw his counterpart glaring daggers at him. With a huff, Breeze lied down and turned away from the fire, consequently, away from Bartz.

The female mimic felt a sense of comfort overwhelm her albeit the hard ground. She let out a sigh of relief as she fell asleep, enjoying the warmth that radiated from the bright flame. Bartz couldn't help but observe her.

When he first saw her, he already felt as if he knew her. A strange sense on nostalgia immediately washed over him. And what was weird was that he had already predicted that they wouldn't be in good terms. Bartz shrugged. Maybe he was just hallucinating. They had gone on for days without a decent meal and he knew that the mind would play tricks when hungry.

He turned his gaze to the fire. He smiled at the comfortable warmth that it brought as the air outside started to turn cold. He rubbed his palms together and placed them nearer to the flame. He immediately retracted his hands as the bright flame mischievously licked his palms. "Ouch!" Bartz sharply turned his head towards the voice. It was Breeze.

Breeze instinctively pulled her hands towards her. They were sore, very sore. The pain was not that extreme, but she was sure that it would last for a few minutes. She pulled her hands away and eyed them. They were red with a few blisters. _"Did I touch the fire?"_

"What's up with you? Something bit you?"

Breeze turned to her companion and shook her head. "Nah… I think I accidentally put my hands near the fire," she said nonchalantly. Bartz looked confused and she caught that look. "What is it?"

"Well, that's impossible. You were facing the other way." Breeze gave him a look of annoyance and confusion. "I'm serious," Bartz squeaked. "In fact, I got burned when I put my hands near the fire."

The woman frowned. "Well, whatever. I'm gonna sleep and just in case," she inched a bit away from their source of light and warmth, "I'm gonna do so right here," she said as she patted the ground beneath her. "Good night," she huffed, lying down, her back facing him. Bartz shrugged and decided to ignore it, just like Breeze and continued to gaze into the dancing blaze.

Unbeknownst Bartz, Breeze didn't ignore it. She looked like she did, but deep inside, she was a bit troubled. She gazed at her sore hand. She was sure she didn't come into contact with the flame, but… _"There must be an explanation,"_ she told herself, nodding slightly. She closed her eyes, and tried her best to get back to sleep.

"_There is always a reasonable, understandable explanation for this… There _must_ be..."_

_

* * *

_

The Empress, Matilda, quietly trudged through the barren land. A full moon shone through the cloudless night sky, shedding light onto the path. She constantly checked for anyone behind her, making sure no one was following her. To her relief one lone figure was present. "Golbez," she acknowledged with a nod. "It was considerate of you to meet me on such short notice."

"I just happen to be free at the moment," he replied. "You timed our meeting perfectly. Gabriella's away."

"Yes. I just wanted to hear any development on your side," she stated.

"Everything's going according to the Goddess' wishes," Golbez calmly said. "Has anything risen from your side?"

Matilda hesitated. "Signs... are showing albeit slowly. I cannot say that they have much more time, but I also cannot say that they would return soon."

"Ah yes… It would be a very hard transition for them, but if it plays out well, then Cosmos' wishes would be granted."

"Very well then, that is all…" Matilda nodded good bye and turned away. A thought crossed her mind, making her stop. She looked over her shoulder, turning slightly toward the warlock. "Is it possible for me to request an audience with the Goddess?" Golbez was silent for a moment, thinking, before nodding.

"I will ask her," he answered. The Empress nodded thanks and continued to walk away.

Matilda ventured back out into the cold, lifeless terrain. Golbez's words echoed in her mind.

"_If it plays out well..."_

_

* * *

_

_12:25 am. Whoo~! Finished a bit early!_


	12. Odyssey III:III

**Odyssey III:III**

A shiver went down Luna's spine as she stepped onto the hard tiled floor, her steps echoing ominously. "I never thought I'd have to come to this place again," she sighed, mostly to herself. Each step she took was accompanied by the soft clicking sound of her armor. She heaved a long sigh; things were slipping.

Ever since Golbez had talked to Luneth, he had become more confident, more powerful. She would usually wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of something crashing, only to find Luneth training. No, it wasn't a bad thing. Actually, she was relieved that he had gotten more determined and confident, but something still wasn't right. As he grew in power, she started to lose it. Of course, she wouldn't show her increasing weakness, but it was getting harder and harder to keep it under wraps.

"We're here," Luneth called out into the darkness, snapping Luna out of her thoughts. Everything was quiet for a moment until the space in front of them seemed to tear open. The two automatically took a defensive stance as the two beings emerged. "Where are they?"

Fam grinned. With a wave of her hand, dark mist came together and Terra and Tony's bodies materialized. "The girl tried to fight us, but she was no match," she said with a huff. Frit stood quietly by her side, contented in watching.

The Onion Knight couldn't help but feel dread when he saw his friends' states. They were lying, unconscious on the floor; the pain they had endured still evident in their troubled, sleeping faces. "Don't harm them anymore," he whispered, almost begging. Luna widened her eyes at what he said. "Take me instead." Luna froze.

"What an interesting offer… The legendary Onion Knight, be my puppet? What an opportunity that I cannot pass," she said. Her eyes glinted as she saw her soon-to-come victory.

"You can't be serious!" Luna cried out, speaking for the first time since the Cloud of Darkness appeared. "Luneth, tell me you're joking!"

Fam rised an eyebrow. "Of course, how could I forget. The brat also comes with you." This time, Frit flinched, but the small movement went through unnoticed.

Luna turned to her and shot her a deadly glare. "I am _not_ going to join you!" she declared, raising her sword to fight. She saw a slim hand push her sword gently away and was left speechless. Luneth shook his head and stepped forward, his head bowed low. Fam eagerly floated forward, licking her lips, already tasting her triumph. Luna was boiling with anger that she wanted to just go on a slashing fest, but she couldn't move. She thought of all the possible painful ways of killing the two beings but couldn't even tighten a single muscle. Everything then flashed right before her.

Images of past events came zipping by right in front of her. Her vision shifted back and forth from her memories to the present time. She tried stepping forward, but dizziness came over her. She threatened to topple over, but she moved her leg to the side a bit to balance herself. She looked at the figures before her. It was that of Refia and the other. She blinked and the image changed into that of Fam looking smugly at her. Her head ached as she saw more of her memories shifting back and forth. Luneth seemed oblivious to her condition while the two Chaos warriors merely observed, as if predicting the confusion now clouding her mind.

She heard her sword clatter onto the sword as she held her head in her hands. She gripped onto what hair that was flowing out of her helmet. She wanted to scream wildly, but she fought against it. Her counterpart still ignored her.

"Now let us begin," Fam announced as she started to reach into the boy's mind. In a split second, she was already jumping away, eyes wide with a small cut on her cheek while Luneth was standing his ground, his sword ready. Fam gritted her teeth as rage filled her. "How dare you deceive us!" she screeched as she came lunging at him.

Luna's mind barely registered the start of their battle. She was too pre-occupied with what was going on with herself. Through her tear-clouded vision she saw Frit cautiously walking towards her. Her first thought was that he was going to take advantage of her distress and kill her; instead, he picked up the sword lying on the ground and offered it back to her.

"W-What's happening t-to me?" she tried to say without screaming out the words.

"We need not fight a battle," Frit told her, avoiding the question. "We consciences make no difference in this conflict." He took one of the girl's trembling hands and handed her sword over. "We have lost the will to fight. All you need to do is play your part and disappear."

Luna couldn't understand a thing. She had her sword in hand, but the man would not release his hold. She tried to pull away but to no avail. The man pulled the sword towards him in one swift motion. The next thing Luna knew was that a warm liquid started sliding down her arms and under her armor. Images still flashed before her, but she could definitely tell that the man hovering over her with blank eyes was real. She slowly stepped back, pulling the sword out of the lifeless body. She lost her hold on her weapon and let it fall once again.

The pain was excruciating. It felt like someone had cracked her skull and was slowly breaking it open. She panted heavily and sweat started to trickle down her pale face. Her heart was racing as the images turned into something completely foreign to her.

It was that of Terra and Tony, signaling that it was just recent. They were awfully sad. Luna was sure she hadn't seen them so sad yet. The next one, she found herself talking to them. She heard herself talk, but she had no idea what had slipped through her lips. They looked very distracted and felt herself well up with annoyance. She felt herself turn around and walk away.

"_No… I-I don't know this…"_ Up until that moment, the images were silent. But now, she could hear the faint voices of the people in the scenery, as well as some unknown voices.

"_You're kidding!"_

"_Let us begin!"_

"_The crystals will never reveal themselves to those without valor…"_

"_Hey kid…"_

"_Obtain the light..."_

"_Luneth…"_

She had had enough. So many things rushed around inside her mind and she couldn't keep it in anymore. She screamed. She screamed till she was out of breath, shaking her head all the while. If anyone had seen her, they would have thought that the girl had gone crazy.

"Luna?" The girl looked up and saw a blurry red figure. "What happened to you?" The figure neared her and Luna finally recognized him. A green glowing object in Luneth's arms caught the girl's attention. The knight noticed her sudden silence and presented it to her. "It's our crystal."

A cold wind swept through the whole area, making Luna's hair stand on ends. She reached out for it and felt its smooth, warm surface. The sense of comfort then slowly washed over her. She felt herself slowly moving closer to the crystal.

"Luna!" the knight shouted, distress evident in his voice and face. "You're-!" Luna looked down and saw green particles slowly circling her feet, gradually inching their way up. The few parts the mist had passed disappeared. She was disappearing.

To panic is the natural way to react to what was happening to her, but Luna wasn't capable of doing that anymore. Luna noticed another figure far behind Luneth. The woman wore thick make up, covering her natural features. _"Kelpie… is this what's supposed to happen?"_

As if hearing the question, the jester nodded her head. _"It'll be better if the likes of us faded…"_

"_Then so be it… I'm tired anyway…"_ The jester smiled at the female knight. It was another one of her rare, genuine smiles. It was neither of happiness nor of sadness. It was that of contentment, finally being able to lead the child to the right path. Kelpie walked away, disappearing into the darkness.

Luna turned her focus back to Luneth who was trying to get her attention for the past few moments. She sadly smiled at the boy and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm tired Luneth… I'm going home soon enough…" she said weakly as the green mist reached her knees.

"What are you talking about? You're disappearing!" he argued.

She shook her head. "No, I'm going home… Too bad I won't be able to see you anymore… It's been a blast."

Luneth tightly shut his eyes close, holding the girl steadily in his arms. He had grown fond of her presence. When he was down, she would always be there to make him feel better. When he had lost hope, she reminded him that there were other people depending on them, making him push further. When he was scared, she would be brave for him and he did the same to her.

He protected her when she was vulnerable. He aided her when her health deteriorated. Yes, he noticed her weakening state and tried to ask about it, but the girl's quiet moments had halted him. She was confused as he was on what was happening to her.

These past few days, she had grown paler, the color of her cheeks turning into an ashy white. Her green eyes had lost their brilliance. Each swing she gave was weaker than the last. Her speed, strength, agility and reflexes had all grown worse as they neared where the Clouds of Darkness resided.

"Luna, what's happening?" he murmured.

"I… don't know," the girl whispered. The green particles inched higher now. "Kelpie told me it had something to do with who I was."

"Who are you?"

A soft, weak giggle escaped from the girl's lips. "I'm you…" The green mist finally reached her torso and she slowly pulled away, a kind smile on her lips. She started moving away from him. "Take care of tony for me," she requested as she finally vanished in a burst of green, sparkling particles. The mist slowly made its way to Luneth. The knight feared it at first, but it was only absorbed by the crystal.

He raised the crystal up to his face and examined it. He heard a faint voice coming from it.

"_Don't worry, I'll be alright… I'll be always with you."_

Luneth wrapped his arms tightly around the glowing rock and made his way towards the two half-espers. They were still lying on the ground, completely oblivious to what had transpired. He yawned, signaling he was tired. "Yeah, sleep must be nice… Maybe I'll…" Luneth stopped in mid-sentence as he lied down onto the floor, right beside Terra. When he was properly lying down, sleep immediately took over. Before the comfort of being unconscious swept over him, a soft voice whispered into his ear.

"_Everything will be alright…"_

_

* * *

_

_That's it for Luna's story. Is it crappy? Well, I admit it might be disappointing… Please let me know what you think!_

_BTW, I might not be able to update as much (as you may have already noticed). Projects are piling up and I need to do them ASAP. Oh well…_

_R&R please! Tenchu~!_


	13. Odyssey II:I

**Odyssey II:I**

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Frina asked, breaking the deafening silence that had been present since they had stopped at the furnace-like place. Hot molten rock bubbled just below the black cement that they were on. Tina and Tidus were familiar to the area, but both of them had claimed that it was only vaguely similar. The two blitzball stars had taken the liberty of scouting for any danger while Cecil and Cecilia were off to find food. As of the moment, Frina and Firion were alone at the very center of the place, the huge sword that was stabbed onto the ground.

"To be honest, I really don't know," Firion replied with uncertainty. Frina had noticed the troubled expression on his face for the past few moments and Firion had noticed her concern. "But I'm alright Frina. There is no need to worry."

The woman sighed in relief. "Haha… Yeah, I must be getting paranoid or something," she chuckled. "We just need to relax for the mean time while the others are gone. This seems to be a safe enough place…" In one fluid motion, she had laid her back onto the hard floor without showing any sign of discomfort. She made a sound of satisfaction as she felt her muscles relax. Much to her surprise, the stone floor was considerably cool compared to the humid air brought by the magma. She rolled to her side, facing Firion, trying to absorb the cold.

"What's… Oh…." Frina looked fondly at the flower that was in Firion's hand. "The Wild Rose, eh?" She gazed at it for a few more moments before she took out her own flower. "Pretty, aren't they?"

Firion nodded. "Yes… Some day…"

"The world will be filled with wild roses," they said in unison.

"What a dream…" Frina sighed. She rolled and flipped the delicate rose between her fingers and marveled at its beauty.

"Yes, it is indeed a dream. It is my dream," Firion said. "These flowers will bloom freely one day in wide open fields and sway in the wind." He was expecting an agreement from Frina but it never came. He turned to her and saw her glaring at the innocent flower in her hand, almost crushing it in between her fingertips.

"Such a dream… I cannot believe that I was that naïve." In an instant, the rose was bent at the stem by the pressure applied to it and Frina rolled over, her back now facing Firion.

Firion was about to argue when a thin piece of glistening metal came beside his neck and a hand grabbed onto his hair. His eyes searched for Frina and he saw her being held by the hair while a blade hovered dangerously near her jugular. "I am amazed that you are clearly aware of that," a voice said.

"I'll be taking that," said another, but in a higher note, a falsetto. A slim leathered glove took hold of the precious flower in Firion's hand. The weapons master tried to take it back, but the blade pressed harder onto his pulsing vein. "Now this is a keeper," the voice said in contentment. Firion felt the hand on his head move and positioned him to face his captor. His eye widened at the sight of glowing, green feline eyes. Long, silver hair flowed past her waist and spilled over her shoulders. The woman smiled. "You might be one too…" She turned away abruptly to Frina's captor, still not letting go. "Hey Sephy! Can I keep him?" she called out.

A grunt was heard. "Saphirna."

"Fine! Be that way!" she huffed. "Anyway, I got what we came for."

"Good. We have done what we came for." Frina fritted her teeth as the man refused to let go of her. She was gracelessly kneeling on the floor, her hair all over and her cape all wrinkled. "Let's go." Frina, with all of her effort, kicked her leg to the side, trying to make the man fall.

Reading her sudden change of demeanor, the long haired man dragged the woman up to her feet by the hair and threw her towards the huge stone sword. "I thought that no one was gonna get hurt Sephiroth!" Saphirna had said in a disappointed tone.

"Indeed, no one did get hurt," he coldly said as he walked past her without sparing a glance towards Saphirna. The woman noticeably frowned at the statement.

"Fine," she replied, anger now evident in her words. She threw Firion down towards the ground with a grunt and followed after him, Firion's rose in hand. "For your sake, I hope Cloud's much better-looking," she hissed, not really evident if she was talking to Sephiroth of to Firion.

"Wait!" Firion felt a hand grab onto his wrist as he tried to get up and run after them. He turned and saw Frina with a serious look on her face. "Frina, let go! They're getting away!"

"It's a lost cause Firion," she replied coldly. "What use would it be if we run after them? Would the rose be able to save the world if we retrieve it?" She was answered by silence and Firion's lowered head. "I thought so…" She slowly let go of him, perceiving that she had been successful in reaching him. But as soon as she had let go, Firion made a mad dash towards where Sephiroth had gone. "Firion! Firion come back here!"

Firion ignored her.

Gritting her teeth, she gathered her things and ran after him. She paused for a moment when she had crossed paths with Cecilia, catching her breath and explaining her rush. "Firion went after a Chaos Warrior that stole something. I'm gonna try to find and bring him back," she told the paladin quickly before continuing her chase after the weapons master.

Cecilia was left with a confused and worried look. _'I have to tell this to the others.'_

Frina continued running and saw the faint silhouette of Firion's figure. The light was slowly fading, causing her vision to be limited. Her eyes strained to follow his every turn and every duck. Before soon, she saw him stop suddenly at what seemed to be a cliff.

"Finally! We better head back and…" Frina couldn't finish her sentence because when she laid her eyes on what lay past the cliff, her mind went blank.

A huge crater ruined the otherwise plain, albeit ragged, area. It was covered with what looked like snow. There was a slight sign of a slope, signaling that it was supposed to be part of a mountain. The crater itself was a strange sight. A strange, hazy green aura floated up from it while giving off energy.

"What is that?" she murmured unconsciously. Instead of a decent answer, Firion started making his way down the cliff. "Firion! How dare you ignore me!" she screamed over the cliff. She still heard no reply and resigned to following him. Slowly, the two of them scaled down the height of the cliff and landed on the soft cold snow. The crater was about a few hundred meters from where they were and they could feel energy flowing out of it. Only a few manikins surrounded the area, for some reason.

"Are we going in that hole?" she asked blandly, giving up on getting any reply.

"Yes." Frina paused for a moment before shaking her head slightly. She walked side by side with Firion and shot, sliced or stabbed any of the manikins that came by.

"Why're you so upset?" Frina asked as the two of them stood at the mouth of the green crater. As they gazed down into it, the light grew brighter.

"I'm upset because you had ignorantly trampled over my dream," he calmly said, though there was an evident coldness to his voice. Frina swallowed.

"Well, I'm sorry if I offended you," she apologized. "I should have thought about my words better." She turned away from Firion and faced the huge hole before them. "But for the mean time, I think we should get back the flowers. I mean, they _have_ been with us for quite some time now…."

Firion nodded and jumped right down in, landing on a considerably stable ledge. Frina followed suit. She looked about in wonder as more green particles floated up as they went deeper into the crater. They both felt as if they were being watched, but Firion was undeterred and Frina faithfully followed him. Frina couldn't help but glance around anxiously from time to time. To her, it seemed as though the whole place was alive.

"_In the end, I still keep running after the unreachable…"_

_

* * *

_

_HA! It's official! I have finished playing FFIV! Party peopletz! I finished my first ever RPG! WOOOOHOOOO!_

_Ghost Writer, sorry, that was a mis-type. I was thanking Sadness for the info. My eyes must have malfunctioned XD_

_WOOOOOHOOOOOOOO! One chapter in one night! _

_..._

_I'm killing mysef_

_..._


	14. Odyssey I:II

**Odyssey I:II**

Light paused and looked up at the dark sky. _"So you are the first to understand, Luna…"_

It was with a heavy heart that she had to keep secrets from her comrades, her friends. They were bound to find out sooner or later, but the lie proved to be very handy. It had avoided many of her fears; namely, Warrior asking too many questions and him getting suspicious. But then again, Light had already known that it wasn't the man's nature to ask so much to or from a person. With that fact, she was very thankful for.

"Light!" a female voice chimed, making the warrior focus her eyes back on the path. The place was floating over a pool of hot magma. Dark clouds stayed in place as smoke and steam floated up into the heavens above. Light turned to the voice and paled at the sight of two familiar people.

"T-Tina? C-Cecilia?" she stammered. She jumped right down from the ledge she was standing on and landed right in front of the two ladies.

"Thank goodness you're here! Frina ran off into enemy territory!" Cecilia quickly reported.

"On her own?"

"No," a male's voice said. Light turned and saw a man in dark armor similar to Cecilia's. "She went off with Firion. Both of them said that someone took a very important thing from them."

"We'll go after them," Warrior stated in his usual calm demeanor. The four warriors looked at them dubiously.

"Then, let us come with you. The journey must be dangerous," Cecilia pointed out. "You seriously can't go alone."

"Of course he won't. I'm coming with him," Light said. Warrior was about to protest but stopped and weighed the options. He then decided that it _would_ be too risky for someone to venture into enemy lines all alone.

Warrior nodded after a few moments. "We'll go on and search for Firion. In the mean time, continue on your search for the crystals. We'll bring him back safe and sound," he reassured them.

"Light, are you sure you can handle this?" Tina asked weakly. The blitzball star knew better than to question their leader's decisions, but a slight disturbance had recently gotten her, Frina and Cecilia alert around the clock. No matter how much effort they made in order to relax, no comfort approached them.

The armored woman nodded. "Of course I am. Now, which way did Frina and her friend go?"

Tidus pointed a finger towards the south. "They went that way."

"Go ahead and search for your crystals. We'll take care of everything," Warrior said before heading down the path Tidus had pointed. Light watched her partner walk away before turning to her comrades.

"Never leave your counterparts," she stated in a hushed voice, as if she wanted no one but the two ladies to hear. The two women stared at their leader strangely for a few moments. "No questions. That's an order."

Tina frowned. She hated being told off like that, but she had respect for their leader. Light had admitted to them that she remembered nothing of herself, but she still was determined to follow Cosmos' will. The feat of trusting a stranger was a difficult one, but it was no hurdle for her. She remained calm and collected, but it was clear that she cared for them very dearly.

Cecilia had looked up to Light as a motherly figure. Growing up in Baron with both parents gone, she had depended on the king and her friends for comfort. Light had given her a haven where she could feel safe.

Light's eyes turned from steely blue to a softer shade. "Take care of each other," she requested before following after her counterpart.

The two nodded, but it was a useless gesture as the armored woman disappeared from their line of vision in just a few moments.

Light closed her eyes as she felt the warm wind hit her face as she ran after Warrior. Another fear had arised. Luna's fall had affected their kind. It would be only a matter of time before the others catch wind and question each other. Light wasn't sure if lying was the best decision, but she was far in too deep to get out of the grave she had dug up herself. The man she was running after came into view, his cape flipping right behind him.

She had to keep everything in line. If any of them wanders away from the path that they were destined to take, then Cosmos' plans will fail and they would all die. If she and Warrior were separated from each other for a certain period of time… She could only imagine what Luna had gone through before fading, but from the fluctuation energy awhile ago, she could say that it was painful as well. Light shook the idea out of her head. She did the right thing.

"_It was a lie to protect everyone…"_

_

* * *

_

_LOL... After FFIV, I'm starting to play FFVI... Hah, it's official! I'm an addict!_


	15. Odyssey II:II

**Odyssey II:II**

Firion widened his chocolate brown eyes at the pain that the kick had dealt as he skidded across the floating platform. He unconsciously wrapped an arm around his abdomen, wincing. He coughed out a bit of blood, but it came by unnoticed because of the numerous gashes that he had on his arms and face. The damage was only limited to the rest of his body thanks to his armor, but the force behind the kick was unexpectedly strong and it caught him off-guard. His vision had already turned blurry a few minutes ago due to the blood loss. _"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up…"_

"I can't say I'm disappointed Firion. If I was in your place, I would have also lasted this long if I couldn't hurt my opponent." Firion tensed at the familiar voice. He looked up and saw the vague figure of a woman that he knew all too well. He struggled to straighten himself up, but another blow to his side sent him flying into the nearest boulder. He could her metal armor hitting the rocky floor get louder and louder. She was getting closer. Firion gasped as he felt a warm, tender hand take hold of his neck and slowly raise him up into the air.

"I'm sorry that I have to kill you Firion, but you leave me with no choice. Sooner or later, you would turn against me and kill me. Now, I couldn't have that. My world's depending on me you see…" the woman said calmly as she tightened her grip on the man's neck.

Firion could only see the green mist slowly rising up and the glow that came with it. The sight, however dire his situation was, brought to him a sense of calm. He could feel her hand slowly and painfully closing his airways, causing him to cough. "F-Frina…" he managed to choke out as he struggled for air. He weakly placed his two hands on the woman's, making an effort to loosen her hold.

Brown eyes glared back at him as he made a useless attempt to escape. "You have no right to say my name… traitor." Frina swatted away his hands and wrapped her free hand around his neck as well. "Now, you die."

Firion closed his eyes shut as he waited for his end, but it never came. Instead, he felt the hands release themselves. As air started to circulate again back into his vitals, a bit of his vision recovered. He heard swords clashing a few meters away and saw an armored woman standing beside him, supporting him.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly. The weapons master could only nod. Although it was uncalled for, the woman laughed. "You need not lie to me, but I can say it is rather foolish of me to ask the obvious," she chuckled as she slowly sat him down.

"W-Who…"

A happy smile graced her face. "I'm the Warrior of Light, but Tina and the other call me 'Light'," she chimed. "Now please, stay still as I treat your wounds…." A blue glow radiated from her hand and she slowly ran it over the more serious injuries he had received. "Warrior is taking care of Frina," she informed, "though I must hope that he won't go overboard." For a split second, Firion noticed what looked like sadness in the so far jolly woman beside him.

"Light?"

"Hm?"

"What-"

Light started to cough. She removed her hands from her mouth and widened her eyes at the red fluid that now coated her gloves. The pain in her side was also hard to miss and so was the audible crash. Light looked up and saw a cloud of dust floating up from one of the smaller slabs of rock that mysteriously floated in this place. "Warrior, just keep wearing her out!" she ordered.

"Light are you alright?" Firion managed to ask in one breath.

"If you mean in the normal sense, no, but I'm doing pretty well. I must say otherwise for Frina though, it would take time, but the wounds she gave you would start to have an effect on her as well…" she drifted off as she stood up. "Well, the worse of your wounds are treated, but you'll be needing proper rest. I advise you to go back to Tina and the others."

"And leave you here with them?"

"'Them?' What do you mean 'them'?" the warrior asked, confused.

"Light!" She looked up at the sound of her name and saw two other figures above them.

Light turned back to Firion. "Go!" she ordered. The man hesitated for a moment before complying. After making sure that he was gone, Light quickly made her way to the upper platforms. What she saw up there was a Warrior who was in a defensive stance, a Frina that was badly beaten, and two silver-haired people in black coats.

"What do we have here?" the man in black asked.

The woman beside him raised an eyebrow. "Another cutie? Oh wait… It's Mister Knight in Shining Armor~" she chimed.

"Sephiroth," Warrior said in acknowledgement, though there was a certain edge to his voice.

"Saphirna," Light nodded towards the woman, having no sign of hostility towards the silver-haired woman.

Saphirna smiled happily as she recognized Light. "Oh, hi Light! What's up? Didn't see you back there~"

"I take it that you told her," Light said as she tilted her head towards the panting Frina.

The woman nodded, but a troubled look crossed her face. "Rather incorrectly though…" Warrior's gaze shifted between the two women. They seemed to have known each other at a friendly level. Sephiroth cast a glare towards Saphirna and it got her to shut up.

"They all need to know the truth," he told them, but he paid special attention to Light. "Don't you agree?"

"I have no complains towards that, but now is not really the time," she calmly replied. "Frina's violent reaction only proves that even further, whether or not it was true."

Warrior watched the said woman from the corner of his eyes. She was still kneeling down and struggling with her wounds. Just like Light ordered, he didn't let even a single hair of the woman be cut by his sword. He had only dodged, blocked and even received the attacks she threw at him. As Frina continued her attacks, she considerably weakened and slowed down. It was when he jumped away that he noticed the blood that now stained her armor and dripped down from her mouth. Patches of eerie yellow were scattered all over her skin, some blue even. How she came to be that way without him even laying a single blow was still a mystery.

"What are you planning you bastard?" Light hissed angrily, her blue eyes cold and narrowed. Sephiroth noticeably smirked, the woman beside him growing uncomfortable.

"They plan to pit you against each other," Saphirna whispered. Light turned to the woman in shock. Warrior spared her a glance. Sephiroth glared at her. The woman warily looked to the side and saw the anger boiling up inside the man beside her. "I-I'm s-" Before she even had the chance to finish, Saphrina was already slammed into the nearest rock. She ended up coughing badly as she pushed herself up. "I said I'm sorry didn't I?"

Green feline eyes widened as a sword swiftly passed by her multiple times, slitting her in numerous places. "Alright, I didn't sign up for this!" she screeched as she prepared to attack. She was cut short though, by an unseen force that seemed to freeze her instantly.

"I should be the one complaining about your incessant whining! You have no right to such things." Sephiroth glanced sideways towards the two Warriors of Light. "I have no time to deal with a puppet and an illusion."

"In layman's terms, we need to bait Cloud into fighting us," Saphirna muttered as she jumped up beside Sephiroth. The man glared at her, but she ignored it. "Anyway, I'm so excited to see Cloud! I hope he's cute~"

"I must say, he _is _a pleasure to the eyes," Light sighed softly to herself. Warrior turned to her at her statement. "What?" she asked innocently.

Sephiroth turned away, disgusted. "Just know illusion, that you can't protect everyone. The woman over there has already fallen. She no longer believes in any of you…" In a flash of light and a flurry of feathers, he was gone. Saphirna lingered for a few moments, hesitating.

"You don't need to go with him," Light told her, turning to Saphirna.

"What are you implying?" Warrior asked, dubious.

"I'm saying that she should come with us," the female warrior pointed out bluntly.

A small laugh rang. "The offer is quite tempting," Saphirna began, "but you know very well what would happen to me if I just ran off like that. Now, you wouldn't bear a pretty woman like me endure that kind of pain would you?" Light uncomfortably shifted in her place. "Your friend over there will also suffer if she doesn't go back to Firion."

"What in the world is going on?" Warrior finally voiced out in his usual calm façade, though he was bursting in curiosity and confusion. "You should be…"

"Killing each other?" Saphirna filled in. She laughed as the man paled at the term. "You're not too shabby yourself. Well, not everything is black and white I guess…"

"Indeed…" Light mumbled under her breath.

"Well, it'd be best if I get going. Nice to finally meet you guys~!" she chimed as she also disappeared with feathers fluttering about. "Oh yeah… I'll be taking care of Frina for a while. Don't worry, I'll get her back to her friends," her voice echoed.

Warrior stared as the feathers slowly dissolved into the air. The faint sound of metal clicking drew his attention away from the empty air where Saphirna was a few moments ago. He turned to see his partner already leaving him behind. He spared one last glance at the open space before him before following the woman.

* * *

"Firion!" Tina called out as she saw the weapons master running towards them. The rest of the group turned towards the direction the blitzball player was pointing. Tina narrowed her eyes as she saw no one following the man.

"Firion, where have you been? What happened to you?" Tidus exclaimed as he finally noticed the blood smeared all over his armor. The man just stayed quiet and turned to the woman who was standing by, a worried look on her face.

"Firion, where's Frina?" Cecilia calmly asked though her voice failed her at the end of her question, showing her concern.

The man in question avoided their gaze as he took a deep breath. "Frina… tried to kill me. I don't know why, but she wants to kill me."

* * *

_WOOHOOO! Christmas break! 3__rd__ Quarter exams are done and all I have to do is attend a few Christmas parties. Hooray for Jesus' birth!_

…_._

_Seriously, all of us should be thankful because he saved us from our sins…. And from a few days of work and school XD_


	16. Odyssey VII:II

**Odyssey VII:II**

Saphirna groaned as she settled herself against the white marble structure, the water lapping against her feet. She had never been here before and was sure that she would never find the need to go to the Goddess' sanctuary, but she was called and a call from a deity should never be ignored.

The wounds that Sephiroth had given her were far from healed, but in due time, she would have her revenge. She could hear the faint murmurs of her comrades, seemingly oblivious to the predicament they were in. Saphirna shook her head. They knew. They all knew what was to become of them. They were merely pawns of an elaborate plan in order to seize a greater power. _"We should all be soundly sleeping…"_ Saphirna sighed inwardly.

The former general took a deep breath and continued on her walk to meet the Goddess. The Empress had asked for this meeting, but, based on Saphirna's knowledge, it should have been between the two of them only. The reason behind all of them coming was unknown to Saphirna and to the rest of them.

"There she is, the legendary hero," a voice chimed, announcing her arrival. Saphirna turned to see it was Jenneth, a woman who claimed to have been a blitzball star in her days. "Got a little blood on your… Well… All over ya…"

"What the hell? What happened to you?" Gardenia asked as she moved closer to the silver haired general, inspecting her wounds.

"Sephiroth…" Saphirna muttered disdainfully. "Lost my temper, charged in and… well, you get it." Saphirna brushed off the woman's hand and sighed. "Where is she?"

"She has yet to arrive," Kelpie calmly said, comfortably sitting in mid-air.

"Good, at least I'm not late…" Saphirna dryly laughed as she made her wobbly way to the foot of Cosmos' throne. She quietly sat down and gazed about. Yup, they were all there, all eight of them. Frit had been lucky to have gone on first, being a bit more useful to the boy. Gabriella, on the other hand, had decided to go against the natural order of things and tried to out do Golbez.

"Here, let me help you with those nasty gashes," Kajie softly said as she knelt down beside her. She put a hand over her wounds and a faint glow started to surround it and the wounds. After a few minutes, most of the damage was already gone with the exception of the very deep lacerations. "You must have pissed him off to have gotten those," the genome playfully said as she stood up and dusted off her hands.

"Tell me about it…"

"Frit's gone... Are you ready for your turn?" Matilda asked, gazing out into the distance. Among all of them, the Empress had the worst luck. She was stuck with the man who plans to kill Cosmos and rule over all the worlds. The Emperor looked down on everyone, thinking they were just pawns manipulated to do his bidding. In their case, however, they were.

Saphirna nodded. "I just hope Claudine won't be bitchy," she sneered.

"Matilda, aren't you concerned about Frina?" a man in red robes asked as he exited from what looked like a black hole.

The Empress sighed before shaking her head. "Artema… I am not sure of what to do with her," she sighed. "I don't understand why she would kill Firion, even _if_ Sephiroth had told her the truth… It's just…"

"It's because Sephiroth lied to the poor girl," a woman in light blue armor explained, walking into the conversation.

"You finish photosynthesizing lil' flower?" Jenneth chuckled as she spotted the armor-clad woman.

"Very funny Jenneth," she hissed in reply.

"Lie? What could he have possibly said that would make Frina want to kill him?" Matilda demanded. The woman in armor raised a finger as she started to explain, but Kelpie raised a hand, stopping her.

"If you don't mind Feigh?" the jester said.

"By all means. I'm not cut out for any of these explanations anyway…" she muttered, leaning against one of the shell-like structures that stood near the Goddess' throne.

"So what did he say?" Matilda insisted.

Kelpie drew in a deep breath and started her explanation. "Sephiroth had told her that she was non-existent, that much was true. Frina was a bit fazed by the statement, but shrugged it off. Then, the bastard told her that she was dragged into this war because of some sort of glitch when Cosmos had summoned her warriors. He told her that she and her friends posed as a threat against Firion and the others' existence."

"That doesn't really go that far from the truth, y'know," Jenneth commented, raising an eyebrow.

"True, but it's what he says afterwards that sets her off…" Saphirna interjected.

The jester nodded in agreement. "Sephiroth had told her that by killing Claudine and the others, the true Warriors of Cosmos would be able to secure their lives and fight on. Of course, Frina wouldn't go down without a fight."

Saphirna 'hmm'-ed in agreement. "Frina was so pissed at the idea that she dies so that her twin lives. She thought it was unfair, having lived the same life. She thought that she had the as much right to live as the other. Unfortunately, Sephiroth had insisted that only one of them would live."

"I fear that I have once again forsaken my warriors," a weak voice echoed throughout the area. All of them stopped what they were doing at the sound of the deity's voice and all kneeled down on one knee in respect. "Please rise."

"Cosmos, we…" Gardenia started to say, but she was stopped when the Goddess shook her head.

"I know of all that troubles you. Frina and Gabriella seem to have strayed from the path," Cosmos softly said, her eyes focused on the white marbled under her feet. "They have exhibited a sense of individuality so to speak."

All of the warriors nodded in agreement. "Cosmos," Kelpie spoke up, "this will gravely complicate things if we do not straighten them out. Gabriella poses no threat to any of us, seeing that Golbez would be able to hold her off, but Frina… She is one of _your_ warriors, not to mention Mateus' opponent in extension. If she strays…"

"Yes, I understand your concerns. Frina _is_ a delicate subject, seeing that the Emperor will undoubtedly use her, but I can only do so much," Cosmos told them. "I can talk to her and explain, but Light would be against it."

"Light?" Gardenia choked out. "Why would she be so against it? At least she wouldn't have to bear the secret alone…"

"But you are forgetting that Light herself doubts her decision," Feigh interrupted. "Light is self-sacrificing and yet she hesitates to. Her knowledge, as much as she wants to share it, is kept to herself because she knows that some of them would take it the wrong way."

"Then what do we do with the woman? She's currently unconscious in that hell hole of a place Jenneth calls a stadium. We can't just leave her there," Artema pointed out.

"Hey!" the blitzball star protested.

"I… Take her to me…" Cosmos turned her sad gaze towards Matilda. "I'll do what I can."

"Cosmos, no… If it is too much for you, then we can understand," Kajie said softly. "We'll put it off for as long we can. We'll even try reasoning with her."

The Goddess looked at all of them. They were true warriors worthy to be called as her own. It was such a shame that they were only to fade away and return to nothing. If only she could… "No Cosmos, we cannot allow that," Matilda told her, interrupting the deity's train of thought. "We have accepted what is to become of us… Please don't make it any harder for you or for any of us. You have done what you can."

Feigh nodded. "We'll take care of Frina." Cosmos sighed and nodded. She couldn't sway them. They were stubborn in a sense, but it was admirable that they would risk themselves for her sake. It also saddened her, however, that they won't be able to live out the lives they deserved.

"Do as you must…" she sighed, slowly fading away.

* * *

"Claudine, wake up, we need to get moving," Cloud called as he gently shook the woman awake. The woman stirred a bit in bed but still remained asleep.

They had been wandering about for a few days… weeks maybe. The way time passed on the world they were on was as confusing as its surroundings. Sometimes, it would only take around a few hours for morning to become night and vice-versa. Their sense of time was skewed as it was and the lack of food and sleep didn't help them cope with their surroundings.

They had stumbled upon what looked like a ruined castle, its walls and pillars either crumbling or already gone and its windows shattered with its once beautiful design now in a hundred pieces. Claudine had gotten a migraine as they were walking through the grasslands that surrounded the structure. She had claimed that it was too painful and Cloud had decided to turn in early and went straight for the castle.

The woman on the bed groaned as Cloud gently shook her again. "Five more minutes Teef…" she mumbled in her sleep, swatting away the hand on her shoulder.

Cloud frowned and narrowed his eyes at the woman. _"Teef?"_ He tried waking her up again, but she swatted him again.

"Ugh… I dun wanna play yet… Maybe later Marlene…"

This time, the ex-SOLDIER rolled his eyes. "Claudine, will you please wake up?" he sighed although a bit too loudly. Claudine froze on the bed and suddenly sat up.

"Yes, Mom!" she blurted out, her hair all over her face. She yawned and stretched her arms and moaned as her muscles started to get into working order, her eyes still closed. "Hmm? Teef, do we have a visitor? Who's this guy?" she started asking, pointing her thumb towards Cloud. She yawned again and rubbed her eyes, turning to the person standing beside her bed. She looked up and saw a man with glowing blue eyes, his muscular arms crossed over his chest, a frown on his face. Claudine widened her eyes and shrieked, throwing a pillow at him. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded, taking up her sword.

Cloud glared at the woman as he dusted off the down from the pillow.

Claudine squeaked as she put down the sword. "Cloud? What are you doing… Oh…"

"Yes… Oh.."

"Sorry 'bout that… I'm not really a morning person," she chuckled as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Yeah, now get ready and we need to get going. We don't know how long the sun would be up to help us, so we should make the best out of it…" Claudine nodded as she started folding the blanket she had used and picked up the pillow she had thrown. Cloud watched her as he sat on his bed. "Are you feeling better?"

Claudine nodded. "Yup! Just a bit light-headed, but ready for a bit of action!" she chimed, finishing cleaning up. She then started to put on her boots and buckled her belt. "Where are we heading this time?" she asked, looking over the side of the bed for her hair tie.

"Depends on where you sense the presence," he replied.

"Aha! Got it!" Claudine cheered, successfully pulling out her tie from under the bed. She continued to tying up her hair and turned to Cloud. "Well, I can sense something faint due… there!" she stated, pointing a finger towards where the sun was rising from.

"East it is…" he said, pushing himself out of bed. He took his sword and strapped it onto his back. "We better get going."

"Way ahead of you!" Claudine chimed from outside the room. The pair continued on and got out of the castle with little difficulty. Manikins had been wandering around the day before, but they had them disposed before they went to bed.

Outside, the sun had already risen and they got a clear view of their surroundings. Due east was what looked like a mountain range with a river cutting through a forest just before it. To the west was an extension of the grasslands, abruptly stopping and turning into a desert. To the north was the forest they had come from while to south was a huge body of water.

"Looks like we're gonna hit some mountains," Claudine said. She turned to her companion and smiled brightly. "Are you up for a little mountain climbing?"

"Please, I was practically born on a mountain!" she said as she continued to run towards the presence she felt. It was strange though, being able to sense something other than Saphirna. Claudine knew that being infused with Mako enhanced her senses, but the thing she was sensing right now was… different.

Claudine turned around for a moment and saw that Cloud wasn't following her. A sense of alarm suddenly rose within her and she started to grow concerned. "Cloud?" she called out, taking a hesitant step back towards the castle. "Cloud?"

"I'm sorry but, he's a bit busy," a deep voice said from behind. Claudine turned and saw a figure in a black coat. It had green feline eyes and long silver hair flowed out behind.

The ex-SOLDIER widened her eyes. "Saph-… No, you're not Saphirna. What did you-!" She felt a blunt object hit the back of her neck with great force, making her stagger forward. Claudine slowly felt a strange calm overwhelm her that she recognized as unconsciousness seeping in. "Seph…" she murmured before falling over.

Sephiroth caught the woman before she even hit the ground and slung her over his shoulder like some rag doll. He heard footsteps nearing his location and immediately jumped out of sight. He had what he came for and he was satisfied with that.

* * *

_Well that's done! Kinda long though…_

_So, yeah… I finished FFVI. WOOHOO! I finished it just this Christmas! Oh, and I saw updates on Duodecim too! I can't wait for it to be released! Saw the CG bits and I raised an eyebrow at Terra and Vaan. Hmm? TerraxVaan? Anyway, so happy that Tifa, Kain, Laguna and Lightning are there too._

_That's about it. Been feeling under the weather lately so that may explain my drabbles. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!_

_BTW, is Yuna confirmed?_


	17. Odyssey VI:II

**Odyssey VI:II**

Tony shook his head as he followed behind Terra and Luneth. He was very depressed, to sum up everything. When he and Terra had woken up, Luna was nowhere to be found and Luneth was quietly sitting, staring out into the distance. He had asked the boy where Luna was, but he had just shaken his head and sighed. The half-esper was out-raged of course. Luneth had not given them any information on Luna's disappearance and Tony became suspicious. The boy always avoided any question about the missing Onion Knight.

Terra, on the other hand, was confused as to why they were asleep in the first place. The Onion Knight also avoided answering her questions, but reassured her that everything was fine. Terra was also confused at the notion of forgetting how the boy had achieved his crystal. Yes, she had experienced amnesia before, but she would have remembered such an important event, wouldn't she?

"I finally found you guys!" an exhausted voice called out. The three turned in curiosity and saw a woman in gold and purple. Her dress flipped and folded as she ran up to them. "Y-You… You're Terra and Tony, am I not mistaken?" she panted out, struggling to regulate her breathing.

"Yes…" Terra replied hesitantly. Luneth narrowed his eyes at the newcomer and stopped the two espers from getting any nearer.

"I've seen you before…" he murmured. "You're-"

"I'm the Empress," she continued. "I am Emperor Mateus'… counterpart."

"What do you want from us?" Luneth asked as he eyed the woman with great suspicion. "If you're here to take Terra away you've got another thing coming lady!"

Matilda shook her head. "I have no interest in either you or the esper-girl. I came for him," she calmly said, pointing a polished finger at Tony. "But," she added, slowly withdrawing her hand, "seeing that he's here, I am left confused. I was sure that… No. Kelpie had…"

"Kelpie?" Tony said, interrupting Matilda's murmurs and thoughts. "What did that crazy clown say? Must've told you I was gonna go on a killing spree again," he mumbled out, Terra wincing at the last part. He sensed his twin's discomfort and immediately turned to her. "Sorry to have put it that bluntly…" The female esper gave him a soft smile and shook her head, saying she was fine.

"Crazy? You must mean Kefka. By far, Kelpie has proven to be the most helpful, most sane and most caring person in our group. Cold and sometimes a loner, yes, but with…" She turned to the three people in front of her who were looking at her, confusion written all over their faces. "Oh dear…" she whispered. "What am I supposed to do?"

"What's this? Conspiring with the enemy Matilda~?" a shrill voice said, its ear-piercing quality bouncing off the concrete walls of the collapsing hall they were in. Terra noticeably stiffened and the two men automatically took a defensive stance.

"Kefka," the Empress disgustedly pronounced. "What are you planning to do with them?" she asked into the open air.

"_Them_?" the jester repeated, bouncing down to the ground from heaven knows where. "I'm only here for my ol' pal, ol' friend, ol' buddy of mine!" The clown turned his gaze to the cowering esper and he gave her a wicked smile. "How've ya been Terra? Miss me?"

"Not the slightest," Terra managed to hiss out.

Kefka stepped back a bit, feigning hurt and shock before breaking into his characteristic laughter. "Oh sweet Terra, you're so cruel. What happened to the good' old times?" he sighed, putting a hand to his forehead.

"I say there was none to begin with," she replied angrily.

"Ow! That hurt! Kelpie, how 'bout you? Won't you care to say hello?" Kefka asked, turning to the side, assuming that she was there. She wasn't, however, causing his temper to rise. "Now Kelpie, get the fucking down here!" he shrieked.

"I _am_ here," Kelpie replied from behind one of the pillars. She turned and looked at her adversary who was glaring right at her. The jester sighed.

Matilda shifted her glance between the two groups, nervously waiting for something to happen. She knew of Luneth's achievement with reclaiming the crystal and all, but it was that idea that worried her. He had the upper hand in any battle, but he didn't know it. He could crush Kefka easily, but it was not his battle to fight.

"Come on Terra! I know you wanna get a taste of blood again~" Kefka cooed, wiggling his fingers at the female esper. "Of course this lil' boy won't be able to quench your thirst of destruction now would he?"

"What are you talking about?" Terra asked, hesitation evident in her voice.

Tony narrowed his eyes at the clown and turned to his twin. "Ignore him Terra. Y'know how he is… All he says are lies…" he reassured her.

"You're one to talk!" Kefka sneered.

"Kefka!" Kelpie called out, obviously displeased with the course the conversation had taken.

The said jester frowned and sent a few fireballs after her. Kelpie widened her eyes and immediately went out of harm's way, jumping and flying away from the flaming projectiles. "I told you not to talk when I don't ask you Kelpie!" Kefka scolded as he continued with sending fireballs at her. Kelpie hissed and avoided and dodged as many projectiles as she could.

Kelpie panted as she slumped down onto the floor beside Matilda, leaning against the woman. "Damn that tiring," she mumbled as the Empress tried to support her.

Luneth raised an eyebrow at the interaction. As far as he knew, the Chaos Warriors were violent, except Golbez. The violence was evident in Kefka, but between the two women, there was nothing. Now that he thought of it, the Clouds of Darkness also seemed hostile to each other.

"See what I'm doing Terra? Be a good girl and copy! Like you always did!" Kefka cackled as he crazily barraged Kelpie with more spells. "Didn't it feel good burning all those people? Wasn't it nice to see blood on your hands again when the two of you beat up the brats?"

"Brats?" Terra gasped, turning to Tony.

Tony widened his eyes as the idea of hurting a kid entered his mind. Children. Orphans. The orphans back in Mobliz. They needed him and he needed them. No, it was impossible for the two of them to hurt any children.

"Hey kid, was it fun to get beat up?" Kefka asked in a low voice, turning to the Onion Knight. The two espers froze.

"W-We…" Terra started to stutter but she failed to voice out her thoughts.

"You leave Terra alone!" the boy shouted as he charged at the clown. Kefka, not expecting the out of the blue attack, was cleanly cut by the boy's sword and was very angered by it.

"Why you little brat! I'll show you what you're dealing with!" he shouted as numerous glowing orbs quickly homed in onto Luneth, resulting into a huge explosion. Kelpie almost fell as her support disappeared. Matilda had gone in after the boy and made an effort to protect him, getting caught up in the explosion as well.

The cloud of dust and debris hindered Kelpie's vision and she was forced to call out. "Matilda? Where are you?" A hand firmly gripped onto her arm, almost making her gasp in pain. She turned and looked up at the owner of the pale hand. It was one of the most horrifying faces she had ever seen in her life.

"Time to go Kelpie!" Kefka growled as he tugged her into a wormhole leading to who knows where, leaving the two espers on their own.

"Luneth?" Terra called out, partially coughing at the dust.

"Kid?" Tony shouted. No one replied. The dust started to settle and all he could see was Terra, coughing into her hand. "Terra! You alright?" he asked as he ran up to her. The woman weakly nodded. Tony turned from side to side, looking for anyone, but they were alone.

"They're…"

Tony nodded. "They disappeared."

"B-but… Where can they be? All of them can't just leave us at the same time!" Terra reasoned out, panicking at the idea of being alone with her powers still growing out of control. "What will happen to us?"

The male esper shook his head. "I don't know… But we should get going. We still have a crystal to find," he stated as he turned around and headed towards the presence they felt.

Terra hesitated for a moment. She was afraid. Her powers had been reawaked in this war just when she got used to its absence and started a decent life back in Mobliz. It was frightening for her to feel the sudden life pulsing through her veins that she thought it would get someone hurt. She searched for Tony's receding figure and felt something odd. There was something going on inside the man, that, she was sure off. He was giving off a weak energy around him. Comparing to the energy Terra had felt the first time they met, it was considerably weaker.

Mustering up all her courage and trusting her gut, she opened her mouth and asked what seemed to her as a cliché question. "Are you alright Tony?"

The said man stopped walking and nodded his head. "I'm fine Terra… A bit shaken up, yes, but I'm good," Tony answered, raising an eyebrow at the woman. "Why?"

"It's just that… Never mind…." Terra said, dismissing the conversation. She saw the man shrug and continue on walking. She followed him shortly afterwards, a nagging voice still in her head. She was growing restless, nervous. She shook her head. She shouldn't be experiencing these again. The doubt, the uncertainty, the fear. It should have been long gone after finishing off Kefka. But then again, the crazed clown was back, bringing back the past.

"Terra?" Tony called out from in front.

"Yeah?" Terra replied, looking up.

"Don't be afraid or anything… I promise to always be there for you," he stated. Terra paused and stared at the man in front of her. A smile made its way to her lips. She nodded, even though the gesture would not be seen.

She felt safe.

* * *

Matilda groaned as she lifted herself up from the cold hard ground. She heard a similar sound come from somewhere near her, making her come to her senses. She felt considerably dizzy, the images her mind processed all tilting from side to side. She groped around and felt something go up. _"A wall?"_ She put her other hand up against it and tried to stand up. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, her muscles working in perfect order. She closed her eyes shut and opened them again, trying to adjust. It was dark with a few candles shining into what she thought was a room. She followed her instincts and made her way towards the light, tripping over something.

"Oof!"

The Empress tried to get her bearings and saw a vague figure of a person. It was then that she remembered everything. She quickly turned back to the body and confirmed it was the boy. She immediately looked for something to make a source of light before almost face-palming herself and produced a glowing orb in her hand.

Luneth groaned at the sudden brightness that shone through his closed eyes. He forced them open, only to be blinded.

"Are you alright Luneth?" Matilda whispered, dimming the ball of energy.

The boy rubbed his eyes. "Dizzy. Very dizzy…" Matilda let out a sigh of relief and let the energy ball to brighten. "Where are we?" he mumbled as he turned his head from side to side.

"I think we're-"

"You're in Figaro's dungeon," a voice said. Matilda turned to the only opening and saw Kefka grinning at them. "Comfy in there?"

"A dungeon?" Luneth repeated.

Matilda widened her eyes in fear. "How long are you planning on keeping me her?" she demanded, quickly rising and pointing a finger at the clown through the bars.

The clown kept grinning. "As long as Mateus wants. He was the one who suggested to punish you~."

"That son of a bitch!" the Empress hissed. She drew a hand back, a ball of explosive energy forming. She thrust her hand onto the bars, but the ball suddenly disappeared into a cloud of smoke. "What the? How?"

"I forgot to set up an anti-magic barrier around this place earlier," Kefka informed her. "Problem solved!" he chimed, snapping a finger. He started to turn away and exit the prison. "See ya~!" he sang as he went up the steps.

"You fucking bastard! Come back here!" Matilda screeched, her nails digging into the iron bars. After a few seconds of letting her anger vent out, she sighed in defeat and slumped onto the floor. Luneth was just watching her with wide eyes. His expression made her laugh a bit. "Not exactly the way royalty should behave, no?"

Luneth nodded in agreement. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be off planning the destruction of numerous worlds?" he asked, still observing the woman.

The Empress couldn't help but laugh at his statement. "Me, Kelpie, Frit and the others aren't really in good terms with Kefka and the others like you might think," she explained. She raised an eyebrow at the boy. "You're Fam's enemy, right?" The boy nodded. "Then you're pretty lucky."

"Why?" the boy asked.

"Because you…" The meeting with Cosmos suddenly popped into her mind. _'Light would be against it.' _"Never mind…"

"But-!" Luneth tried to argue, but another thought pooped into the Empress' mind.

"Wait, Kefka said Figaro, right?" Luneth nodded again. A devilish smiled crept into Matilda's face. "That idiot…"

"What, what is it?"

"If my memory serves me right, Figaro has some secret passage way in this jail cell of theirs… I just hope we're in the right cell," Matilda muttered as she got right and waved her hand outside the cell, looking for the wall. Her hand hit a wall to the left, making her chuckle. "Yep…"

"Why would Kefka put us in a cell with an escape?" Luneth asked, bothered by the idea of getting out too easily.

Matilda sighed as she remembered Kelpie's stories, stories that proved to be entertaining and helpful at the same time. "Our so called escape isn't actually a safe route. According to Kelpie, it was actually a cave tunnel that came too close to the cell's wall. A prisoner eventually found the weak wall and…" The woman made her way to the opposite side of the cell and forcefully kicked onto one part of the wall. The wall gave way and resulted into a dark gaping hole before them. "Voila, freedom…"

* * *

_Christmas break is about to end! NUUUUUU!_


	18. Odyssey VIII:II

**Odyssey VIII:II**

"You seem awfully quiet today," Squall muttered out as he jumped down onto the next floating rock formation. Much to his surprise, no rude, smart, or loud reply came from his companion. He was tempted to look back, but he was pretty sure that Quistin would be there. He continued on moving from one floating platform onto another, the faint footsteps behind him the only sign that confirmed his companion's presence.

Her reason for being unusually quiet was beyond him, but he was internally grateful that she had settled down for once. _"She must be turning serious… Good for her…"_ he mused.

He paused for a moment as he landed on one of the larger, more stable platforms. Quistin's landing reassured him that she was still following. "You tired?" he asked, turning around. His eyes widened at the sight before him. _'What the…?'_

"What?" Quistin asked, raising her eyebrows. Squall scanned the woman from the feet up.

'_She's grown… thinner?'_ The woman before him was much thinner than he remembered her to be. Her once full, rosy cheeks were now hollows on her face. She looked frail and weak and he could easily see that she was shivering. Her gray eyes were starting to lose their sparkle for some unknown reason. "Are you alright?" he immediately asked.

Quistin gave him a weird look. "Of course I am…" she replied. Squall gave her a look and she sighed. "I feel cold, but that's all… Honest-to-goodness," she said, raising her right hand. Squall still looked unconvinced.

"Let's stay here for a while… You need to rest." Squall let himself sit on the floor, Quistin soon copying him. The woman sat on the opposite end from him, her legs pulled close to her. Squall took his time to get a closer look of his companion.

Yes, she was thinner. She had also grown paler. He started to think of a reason for her sudden lack of energy. It could have been the lack of food and rest, but she should be still keeping up with him. He was also tired and hungry, but he was sure that he hadn't lost any weight yet. She was shivering, but it wasn't that cold. With his own jacket on, Squall thought that it was actually a bit warm. Quistin had hers on, but she was shaking as if she was only wearing a thin shirt.

With a groan, Squall removed his jacket and threw it towards the woman. "Use it. You're cold," he said as an explanation when the woman caught the piece of clothing.

"Th-Thanks," she stammered as she pulled the article of clothing closer to her. She smiled at the warmth that it had and the scent that it brought with it. Thoughts started swimming in her head as she slowly drifted into state of sleep. Squall watched her fall asleep and looked out into the distance.

'_Nothing makes sense…'_ he thought to himself as he stood up. Quistin stirred a bit at the small movement, but she was still fast asleep. _'That woman…'_ he groaned inwardly, breathing in slowly. He didn't want to wake up the gunblader, knowing that she would go anywhere he would. Squall quietly jumped onto one of the lower platforms. He jumped down a few more floating rocks and started hearing voices. _'I must be insane… Nobody should be…'_ Squall stopped in mid-thought as two figures came into view, a man and a woman. The man dropped the woman harshly onto the floor. The woman immediately jumped away from him and took a defensive stance.

Squall moved onto a closer platform. From there, he could hear the conversation a bit better. He could now understand what they were saying…

* * *

_Been a while, no?_


	19. Odyssey VII:III

**Odyssey VII:III**

"What are you planning?" the woman demanded, taking out her sword. "Where-" the woman stopped herself as she gazed about, a look of fearful recognition on her face. "Why did you bring me here?" she hissed.

The former general glanced at the woman. "You're going to take part in my plans for the puppet," he said coldly.

The woman coughed at what he had said. "Do you think I'm that much of an idiot to help you?" she growled.

Sephiroth shook his head, an amused look on his face. "Don't flatter yourself Claudine. You're not as strong as you think, in mind or in body," he said. Claudine was about to question him when pain suddenly erupted in her head.

"Ngh!" Claudine couldn't even find the strength to scream. Her vision started to blur as the pain intensified. It was unlike anything she had felt before, but she knew this feeling. The feeling of slowly losing control. The feeling of darkness slowly creeping into your mind until it completely covers it. The feeling of a hammer continuously beating upon your skull until it breaks. The familiarity made her eyes burst wide open and stare at the general, the hero, the traitor. "You… w-would-dn't d-dare…!" she choked out as she tried to force him out and away from her mind. "Y-You c-can't!"

Sephiroth couldn't help but smirk at the woman's distress. Oh, how long has it been since he had last seen such suffering… _'Kefka would've enjoyed this…'_ he mused as he continued to search for a weakness in Claudine's mind. After a few more moments, he found it. He was amused with what it was. He quickly took advantage of it, entering the whole of her mind, her thoughts, her body. "On the contrary, I have," he murmured.

With a whim, he made Claudine's body stand up, her form staggering a bit. She moved a bit closer, her hair moving away from her face, revealing lifeless glowing eyes.

"You there," a deep voice echoed, "What do you plan to do with her?" Sephiroth turned and saw a man in a black leather ensemble.

The former general frowned, taking out the Masamune. "What I plan is none of your business," he replied coldly. An idea popped into his mind, making Sephiroth smirk. "I do not have time to waste on you… but I need to see this woman's capabilities," he said, stepping back, Claudine moving forward and summoning her Buster Sword.

Squall frowned as the woman presented herself, her movements lacking any spirit. The blonde took another step forward, preparing herself to launch herself towards the gunblader.

* * *

Quistin jolted upright from her sleep as a sharp pain erupted from her side. "Damn," she cursed under her breath as she clutched her side. She slowly removed her hand and found blood lining the leather of her glove. She looked down for a closer and, indeed, found blood seeping through her shirt. The pain was tolerable, though she knew that an open wound meant blood loss, and that blood loss leads to weakening. She immediately tried to conjure a healing spell, but a small pool of blood had started to form by her right leg. Quistin looked around to look for Squall, but he was nowhere in sight.

The gunblader stood up and, ignoring the pain in her leg, jumped off of the platform in search of Squall.

* * *

Sephiroth had long disappeared into a wormhole when Claudine jumped away to catch her breath. The woman proved to be a worthy opponent against Squall, but the ex-SOLDIER was being controlled, having disregarded its limits. Claudine took in a deep breath and slashed upward, a beam of energy following its path and heading straight for Squall.

The gunblader dodged and at the same time winced as the attack passed by him. He rolled to the side and quickly got up, pointing his blade at her.

Claudine continued with her attacks, barely saying a word, whether be hit or not. As Squall took his stance, she raised her hand towards the sky and a low rumble echoed throughout the area. A burning rock, a meteor, came into view and was heading right for their direction. Squall widened his eyes at the sight when numerous more rocks came into view, all heading straight for them. Claudine stood still and watched with her empty eyes as Squall blocked and dodged some of the massive rocks. She frowned though, when she saw that he had survived.

"**Why won't you die yet?"** she asked, speaking for the first time, though in a warped version of her voice. Her voice was there, but Sephiroth's voice was overlapping as well, making her sound strange.

"S-Squall?" a soft voice called, barely audible. If it wasn't for Claudine turning her head to the side, Squall wouldn't have known someone had spoken. The said gunblader immediately knew who was possibly looking for him. He cursed to himself. She shouldn't be awake. She shouldn't be down here. Claudine, however, stalled for a moment, as if looking for the owner of the voice.

"Go back! Don't come down here!" Squall called back as loud as he can. Squall glanced at the ex-SOLDIER before him and saw a grin on her face. In a heartbeat, she jumped up towards the owner of the voice, leaving Squall who was fearing the worst.

"**Quistin, where are you?"** Claudine called, her voice returning to normal, as she paused on one of the floating rocks. The woman heard something from behind and immediately turned towards the sound. She found herself looking straight at a bleeding brunette.

"Claudine?" Quistin called out, taking a hesitant step forward. She faltered for a moment as another wave of pain radiated from her still open wounds. The said woman took a step forward, and it was then that the gunblader realized something was wrong with her comrade. She shook her head and summoned her gunblade. "You're not Claudine. You're an impostor!" she defiantly declared, pointing her weapon straight at the woman. "What did you do to the real Claudine?"

The woman chuckled and reached out for the SeeD with a relaxed hand. **"You're being silly again Quistin. It really is me, Claudine, your friend,"** Claudine told her as an attempt to earn her trust.

Quistin frowned at the effort. "You made a grave mistake from the very beginning," she said darkly, preparing attack. Claudine's expression changed as well, turning into a more serious one. She too, summoned her sword.

"Quistin!" The gunblader turned towards the sound of her name, completely distracted. Quistin saw Squall with an unreadable expression on his face. Before she could recognize it, however, a large broadsword had made its way a few inches near her neck.

"**Take another step closer, she dies,"** the blonde threatened, Sephiroth's voice overlapping once again.

Squall struggled for something to do in this situation. He didn't want to put his companion in danger, but Quistin's pointed glare was ordering him to ignore her safety for the meanwhile. He understood her intentions. She wasn't giving him permission to possibly strike her for the sake of a greater cause, but for her friend's sake. Squall made up his mind and readied his gunblade.

Claudine narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on both Quistin's hair and her sword. She saw him slide his right foot forward and inched the point of her Buster Sword closer to her hostage's neck.

"You won't get anything from killing her," Squall pointed out.

The blonde couldn't help but chuckle. **"You are mistaken. I **_**will**_** gain something… Something beyond your imagination."** The look on the man's face was priceless.

Sephiroth, from somewhere in this makeshift world, enjoyed the sensation of being able to out-smart his opponent. He had the upper hand, and a single swing would grant him much more opportunities. His plans would be only a few steps away from completion. _"Mother…"_

The blonde's blank, blue eyes widened as she felt the long, cold metal slide through her body.

Squall lowered his weapon when the ex-SOLDIER froze. The woman dropped her weapon and Quistin managed to finally get away from her grip. The female gunblader turned around and gasped, her hand moving to her mouth in fear.

"N-No…" Quistin whispered, her shoulders starting to shake. "C-Claudine?"

The ex-SOLDIER's signature glow returned to her dilated eyes. It was written all over her face that she was shocked. "W-Wha-?" Her question was interrupted by a violent cough. Blood started to drip down her face and bosom. Claudine staggered forward but was caught by Quistin. The gunblader eased down to the ground and turned her over to inspect the wound.

Meanwhile, Squall glared at the figure before the two women. He prepared his gunblade and took slow, steady strides towards them.

Saphirna backed away, her eyes wide in disbelief. This was not supposed to happen. _'No!'_ she mentally screamed. She looked about helplessly, her eyes catching an advancing Squall. "No! Please, let me explain!" she begged frantically. "I… I didn't mean for this to happen!"

"Liar!" Quistin accused, laying down Claudine's form on the ground. The gunblader had done all that she could. She was no healer, so her efforts resulted to minimal recovery. The blonde was striving to survive, for sure, but without any aid, her chance of survival was slim. "Y-You!... The two of you planned this!" Tears were starting to well up in her eyes, something Squall would not stand for.

"Let's get this over with," he stated, raising his gunblade.

"Please," Saphirna pleaded, her plea coming out as a soft whisper as her eyes drifted towards the blonde. "To die here, something she has greatly feared. Her fear was uncalled for, for death was not her destiny," she started saying, her voice calm and full of remorse. "Death was not hers to experience, and neither is it mine."

Claudine's breathing started to hitch, blood coming with every cough and wheeze. "S-Saphirna…" she managed to mumble in between her couching fit. "C-Cloud… Please… I… I know…" With one last breath, Claudine closed her eyes and calmed. There was no movement to be found throughout her body. No heartbeat could be heard. No life could be felt. She was undoubtedly dead.

Particles of light started surround her form. Squall and Quistin quietly watched as their comrade started to fade and turn into a cloud of sparkling particles. "Don't worry Claudine. I'll get you back home…" Saphirna whispered as the particles started circling around her. "Yeah, I promise…"

The former general then turned away from the two gunbladers and opened a portal for herself. Before leaving though, she paused and turned a bit towards the Cosmos Warriors. "Your time will soon come…" she murmured as she continued to make her way towards the black swirling hole of energy. The portal closed as soon as she passed through, preventing the two soldiers from following her.

A few moments later, she was in an open clearing, grass swaying in harmony with the wind. He was close, she could tell. A voice inside her head started to make itself known to her.

'_**He's here Saphirna…'**_

'_I know, now would you pipe down?'_

'_**I will, soon enough…'**_

The silverette sighed as she made her way towards the sound. She saw the blonde she was looking for a few feet away. She stopped moving closer when the man had halted himself from slashing down another already crumbling wall. "Cloud, I assume?" she politely asked, continuing to walk closer. The said man recognized her familiar features and took a defensive stance. She stopped just in front of him and sighed. She pushed away the sword and closed her eyes. "I come now as a bearer of bad news…" Cloud noticeably relaxed, though not letting his guard down. She took a deep breath and told him of the earlier events that had transpired.

"And now… I come to aid you."

* * *

_I don't know what to call this… Sloppy? Bad? Too tired to think. _

_I just got home from a three day adventure camp this Friday. Y'know, with all the rope climbing and the mountain trekking and all that jazz…._


	20. Odyssey X:I

**Odyssey X:I**

Tina frowned. It had been over five days and Frina had not yet returned, nor showed any signs of doing so. The blitzball star had been occasionally bringing up the topic of her friend being missing, but Firion would bluntly say that Frina had already betrayed them.

Tina didn't believe him. She never will, for that matter. Her friend wasn't like that. She wouldn't kill a comrade, no matter the reason. Frina would never. _'She'd never hurt us… would she?'_ she asked herself. As soon as she did though, she shook her head, scolding herself. _'Of course she wouldn't!'_

"Tina! Head's up!"

The said woman looked up and saw a blitzball heading right towards her. Tina cursed under her breath, jumped up and kicked the ball back towards Tidus. She landed back onto the ground, her arm poised towards it for a bit more stability. She stood upright slowly and dusted off her hands. She took a step forward and almost toppled over as a sharp pain ran up her leg. Fortunately, one of her comrades was quick enough to stop her from falling.

"Are you alright?" Cecil asked, concern written all over his face. He gently got the woman onto her feet and let go of her arm.

"I'm alright, thanks," she said automatically as she inspected her leg.

"Tina, you okay?" Tidus asked as he ran towards them. "I'm so sorry. I thought you could handle that kind of throw. I guess-"

"Guess what?" Tina suddenly snapped, glaring at the blonde. Tidus immediately shut his mouth and glanced towards Cecil for help. As he came to find out, Tina was not the kind of person you would like to anger. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. "I'm fine. Yes. I can take that kind of throw, but I guess I just kicked it the wrong way…"

Cecilia then came, Firion behind her with a low head. The man, ever since his near death experience, had become wary of the women. He didn't voice it out, but Tina and Cecilia had seen it. They didn't blame the man, but it was hard for Cecilia to interact with him without trying to clear her friend's name.

"What's the commotion all about?" Firion asked as he settled a bundle of branches down onto the sand. The wind was getting stronger and stronger by the hour. There was no storm; it was just really windy that day. The weapons master looked at Tina's leg and raised an eyebrow. "What happened there?" he inquired. He kneeled down and took a closer look.

Tina's tanned skin was turning an eerie blue. Firion grabbed her leg and applied a bit of pressure on the discolored area. "Does it hurt?" he asked, looking up at the woman.

"Hell it does!" she hissed, closing an eye at the added pain.

Firion nodded in response. He applied a bit more weight to his touch, ignoring the curses being spat out by the woman and focused on what was at hand.

"What do you think?" Firion asked, directing his attention to Cecil.

"I would say that she had broken something," the paladin answered. "You should take it easy for now Tina." The blitzball player nodded begrudgingly. She wasn't used to being taken care of. She was clearly an independent woman who could handle anything.

Cecilia smiled knowingly and reached out towards her friend. "Come on Tina. Let the guys do their jobs," she laughed, wrapping her friends arm around her shoulders for support. "I'll do my best to get you back into fighting condition," she reassured her. The pair settled themselves in the shade of one of the nearest trees. How they were going to survive the night was beyond them.

They had wandered into a beach of some sort. The likelihood of there even being a sea in the world they were in made them doubt whether or not it _was_ a beach in the first place. What it was though, it didn't matter, since the changing color of the sky meant that darkness was soon falling. They had decided that travelling during the night was unwise and dangerous earlier during their travels and this day was no exception.

As far as the eye could see was sand and water, but a bit of west was a structure. They had agreed to investigate the following morning after they get some rest. That is, if they get any. The area, much to their concern, was crawling with manikins and other monsters. They had exterminated a good number of the crystalline copies, but the momentary peace they were experiencing for now could only last for so long. The monsters they had slain earlier proved to be edible, but the idea was unsettling to the women. Nevertheless, they must do what they could do to survive.

"How are you fairing?" Cecilia asked as she gently sat her friend down. "You shouldn't be overworking yourself…"

Tina sighed. "Don't worry about me Ces. I'm good. This damn leg just ain't working for me right anymore," she muttered. She watched her comrade place her hand over the discolored area and stared at the hazy glow it started give off. "Healing spells…"

The paladin chuckled a bit at her remark. "Yes, I remember. You don't know any. I must advise you to learn some. It'll prove to be very helpful in your travels, Tina." Tina stuck out her tongue rather childishly, making her laugh again. After a few moments though, Cecilia quieted down and an unreadable expression washed over her face.

The blonde noticed her sudden change in aura and immediately became concerned. "How 'bout you Ces? Are you doing alright? You've been constantly fighting with Cecil there. What's the matter?" she prodded. She didn't mean to be rude or anything. She was just being genuinely concerned and afraid for her friend.

Cecilia nodded her head gently. "I'm… quite alright I suppose."

Tina raised an eyebrow. "You suppose?"

"Yes," the paladin said, nodding. "Cecil's being… nosy. He keeps on defending his brother while in the process trying to change my opinion with my own sibling."

"Straight to the point?"

"No, but I can sense what he's trying to pull," Cecilia mumbled, evidently annoyed. Cecil, as she came to find out, was very defensive when it came to his older brother. Firion and Cecilia usually took each other's side, stating that Golbez and Gabriella were the enemy, and that they could never be trusted. Tina, on the other hand, had kept quiet.

"Ces…" Tina groaned, rolling her eyes.

"It's not my fault! Honestly!" she immediately denied. "He started it! I swear! It was self-defense, honestly!" Cecilia was caught up with her denial that she had swatted away Tina's leg, making the blonde hiss in pain.

"Cecilia!" the blitzball player hissed through her teeth. "Careful!"

The paladin quickly apologized and proceeded with her healing. Tina continued to quietly observe her friend, noting that she was acting rather odd. She knew Cecilia to be quiet and reserved, rarely speaking except when needed and when she did, she was always soft spoken. Lately, though, Tina noticed that her friend's patience was starting to wear out. Her arguments with Cecil were quiet but many, most of them occurring during the times when Cecil expresses his concern for his brother. Their squabbles would either be verbal of physical. To Tina's dismay, the whole group had grown accustomed to their less than friendly sparring.

Tina sighed at the reality of her friend's situation. They were clearly not getting along. Unlike herself, she had learned to love Tidus. The man had proven to be a worthy friend. At first, she thought he was a goofball, not treating everything seriously and playing around. But after some time, she found him to be just as serious as the rest of them. Tidus would get on her nerves sometimes, but that was to be expected with his being jolly and all while Tina was more of the calm and serious type.

Daylight was soon fleeting when the men had come to fetch them. The women were a bit puzzled as to why they would come for them, but it turned out that they had found a better place to rest. A few meters north of the coast was a small isolated forest.

"Alright, what's the surprise supposed to be?" Tina dryly asked, looking about, seeing nothing but unusually large trees.

Tidus smiled proudly at his twin's question and ushered them to the nearest thick-trunked tree. "Observe," he said as he reached for something. His hand wrapped around something that looked like a handle and pushed into the trunk.

"Well I'll be…" Tina whispered to herself in mild amusement.

"It's a… room?" Cecilia said unsurely. "But-" Something odd at the middle of the room caught Cecilia's eyes. "Wa… What is that thing?" she asked, pointing at bundle of white cloth.

Tina raised an eyebrow at Tidus and the man just shrugged. With a sigh, Tina walked up to it and grabbed the piece of cloth. Upon closer inspection, she couldn't help but chuckle as she called for them. "Hey Tidus, does this look familiar?" the blitzball player asked as her comrades came into view.

"What the hell? Is that a moogle costume?" he asked, trying to stop his laughter.

"Tina? Is that you?" Cecil asked, uncertain. Right before the group was an overly large moogle. A soft giggle came from it and it raised its hands to its head, slowly turning it around.

"Yeah, it's me," she said with a smile on her face as she lifted the mask off. She shook her head a bit to make sure nothing was on her hair, though a few locks had let themselves slip out of the ponytail she wore. "Never tried on one of these… Just though I would for some fun."

"What is it?" Firion asked, taking the moogle head from Tina. He examined its face closely, but no sign of recognition was apparent on his face. "I've never seen any creature like this."

The two blondes shared puzzled glances. "You've never heard of a moogle before?" Tidus asked them.

"Sadly, no," Cecil replied.

"I think Tony mentioned them some time ago…" Cecili murmured as she brought a hand to her chin.

"No use fussing over that though," Tina suddenly said, completely out of the costume. "Nice find you guys. We don't have to sleep on the ground tonight." Tidus proudly smiled, causing her to smile as well. It was hard to ignore Tidus' smile, no matter the situation. "Anyway, did you find any beds?"

"Yes, they're in the next tree," Firion answered, turning for the door. "I'll be looking around. I'll try to find us something edible for a change," he said as he walked out the door.

Cecilia shifted her eyes between the group and the door. With a nod from Tina, she was out the door as well. "Wait for me!" they heard her shout outside.

Tina sighed as she watched her friend run out the door. She slowly turned around and gazed at her two other comrades. "Well, how 'bout we check on those beds?" They agreed without saying anything continued to move out of the room.

The tree that had the beds were only a feet away. To their disappointment, though, there were only four beds, meaning one was going to sleep on the floor, or two people had to share a bed. That problem though, was quickly ignored when Firion called them for their meal. The weapons master didn't find anything, so they had to settle with berries, nuts and meat from the creatures they had slain earlier.

Soon after the meal, all of them almost immediately went to bed, with the exception of Tina. She had offered for her and Cecilia to share beds so that everyone could lie down, but Cecil had insisted that the two of them be comfortable. Firion agreed and offered to be the bed-less one, Tina declined their suggestions. After a small debate on who gets a bed, it was decided that Firion would have to sleep on the floor. But now, while lying on a comfortable bed, she couldn't find the will to even sleep. She was just staring out into space, random, small thoughts popping into her mind from time to time, disappearing as soon as they make themselves known.

Frustrated, she decided to get some fresh air. She quietly got out of bed and glanced around. She saw that all of her comrades were sleeping soundly on their own mattresses. Firion, on the other hand, was sleeping with his back resting against the wall, his head low and arms crossed. She considered the idea of waking him up to take the bed, but she knew that he would blatantly decline her offer.

She shut the door behind her as she got out, enjoying the cool breeze that passed by. She had her hair undone, her blond tresses dancing and swaying with the gentle wind. The trees obscured any view of the night sky, but the holes in their canopy allowed the moonlight to pass through, creating irregular shapes of light on the ground. The figures shifted as the branches and leaves shifted their position, following the breeze's direction.

She took a step forward and was surprised when she felt the cool grass beneath her feet. She had forgotten she wasn't wearing any shoes. She ignored the unusual feeling and continued on her walk. She didn't wander off that far, just enough to get a nice view of the beach. She smiled as the shore came into view. It was so relaxing for her. The waters were gently lapping against the sand shore, only to withdraw and come back again.

She was about to head for the beach when she heard something break. She instantly turned around out of instinct and saw the outline of a human. She couldn't see the person clearly because of the shadows, even when she narrowed her eyes. Another gust of wind blew and the trees shifted their branches again, allowing a stream of light to land on the mysterious figure.

Tina widened her blue eyes as she recognized the person before her. The person had a smug smile on her face as she looked right back at her. She had her arms crossed over her chest, revealing a tattoo on her right bicep. _'Zanarkand Abes….'_ Tina thought to herself as she recognized the insignia.

"So, what's up sweetie?" the woman asked, a hint of humor in her voice. Her dark hair moved about as the breeze passed by again. The red cloth tied around her forehead and hips swayed as well.

Tina wasn't ready for this yet.

"H-Hi… Mom…"

* * *

_Well now, that was a bit longer than I thought… XD_

_Anyway, I'm… kinda, sorta, almost back I guess? School's still a bit busy, especially with exams and recital. Hopefully I don't blow this one up._


	21. Odyssey IV:III

**Odyssey IV:III**

Cecilia tossed and turned in her bed, peaceful sleep avoiding her for some reason. Closing her eyes even tighter, she frowned. She was getting nowhere with this. It was the first time she had laid on a decent bed in over two weeks and her body refused to get the rest it so badly needed. She wanted to pull out her hair out of annoyance but decided against it. It _was_ going to be painful if ever she did so. With a sigh of defeat, she sat up. Her vision was still a bit blurry, but she could see that one of the beds were empty. _'Where could Tina be?'_

The paladin had earlier removed the pieces of her armor, leaving her only with black tights and shirt. As her vision started to clear, she finally noticed the orange glow coming in through the window. _'I've been awake the whole night?'_ she thought to herself. Sighing, she quietly got up from her bed and fixed its covers. She donned her armor once again and headed out.

Tina was a woman of few but meaningful words. She borders over-protectiveness, something akin to sibling-like concern. She had a motherly streak, which, in Cecilia's opinion, was annoying at some points, but appreciated nonetheless. The times when it would be annoying, though, were occurring recently. The blitzball star's questions on how the paladin was doing were getting on her nerves.

"I can take care of myself," she whispered as she got out of the tree-house thing. A breeze blew by, making her hair sway with it. She tucked her unruly locks behind her ear and started aimlessly walking around.

She followed the brightest light that shone through the trees and found herself face to face with the shore. It was a quiet morning without any sign of trouble for the whole day. The sky was clear so far and the thick clouds of last night had begun to move away. Cecilia knew right away that today was going to be warm.

As she started to circle the small forest that they had slept in, she heard a small rustle in a nearby bush. She quietly moved closer towards the sound and tried to discern it. She recognized it as whispers, meaning somebody was talking. Another movement came from the shrub and the noise-maker showed a bit of its head. It was blond. _'Tina…'_ Cecilia sighed as she rolled her eyes.

Without thinking, she barged into the conversation. "Tina, why are you up so early?" she chimed, not noticing the other figure sitting before her comrade. When she did, though, she didn't like who she was. She dangerously narrowed her eyes and any sense of calm within her vanished. "Why is _she_ here?" she asked pointedly.

Tina furrowed her eyebrows. "Please Cecilia, don't use that kind of tone," she calmly requested. She stood up and tried to reach out for her friend, but Cecilia quickly moved away.

"She's the enemy!" the paladin argued.

The woman in question wasn't liking the situation one bit. So, with a sigh, she stood up and dusted off her clothes. "I can't really say that I like your friend here sweetie," the woman said as she glared at the paladin. "I think I've overstayed my welcome too…" She turned to her daughter and ruffled up her hair. "Take it easy Tina. You're gonna need that energy later on," she chuckled.

"Bu Mo-"

"Yeah, go back to the other Chaos Warriors Jenneth. You're nothing but trouble here," Cecilia lashed out as her friend's mother started to turn and walk away.

"Cecilia!"

"Shut it Tina! You know full well that she's the enemy! Remove all emotional ties! You are not going to win if you are going to be hindered by such things!" Cecilia continued to shout.

Tina frowned at her friend's sudden outburst. In her opinion, it was clearly uncalled for. Such hostility has never been seen from her before. "Ces, stop it!" the blonde asked, but she was answered by a sharp sound and her reddening cheek. Tina reached up to her face and touched her heated skin with wide eyes. Out of curiosity, she poked her cheek, resulting to a sudden soreness.

"Stop defending her!" Cecilia cried. It was then after saying those words that she noticed tears welling up in her friends eyes.

Jenneth couldn't help but come back for her daughter. She turned back towards the two ladies and felt her blood pressure rise when she saw Tina holding her cheek. She turned her gaze back to the silverette and grabbed her by the hair. "How dare you do that to my daughter?" she hissed, tugging at the paladin's hair even more. "What has she ever done to you, you ungrateful little brat?"

Cecilia winced as the raven haired woman tightened her grip. Out of pure instinct, she drew out her weapon and jabbed it forward. Jenneth had caught wind of her intent and narrowly avoided the attack.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Cecilia rushed in for another attack, but a blue sword had blocked it. The paladin felt her jaw drop at the sword's owner and slowly backed away. "T-Tina? What are you doing? She's the enemy! Why are you defending her?"

Tina frowned. "Listen to yourself Cecilia! Look at what you're doing!" she desperately tried to reason. "You… You're not like this!" An arm shot right before her, stopping her from moving towards her friend. The blonde turned and saw her frowning mother shaking her head. She knew that look, and the meaning behind it scared her. "M-Mom?"

"I'm sorry Tina, but it'd be for the best," she whispered, anger still evident in her manner of speaking. A dark portal opened behind the dark haired woman. Jenneth slowly took a step back and into the hole, the hole closing as soon as its summoner entered.

The blonde turned and glared at her so-called 'friend.' The sun had completely risen; its bright rays casting shadows against the sand and grass. "We better go back to the others," she mentioned, her voice low, barely above a whisper. "They must be looking for us…" Without sparing a glance at the paladin, Tina started heading back deeper in the woods.

Cecilia had no other option but to follow her. She quietly walked behind Tina, neither of them refusing to talk. As they got back to the hollowed-out trees, the men were already awake and ready to go. Breakfast was already prepared the night before- a meal of berries and nuts.

"There you guys are!" Tidus hollered as the two women came into view. Tina waved a hand in acknowledgement and smiled at her twin. Cecilia, on the other hand, chose to ignore his call. "Where have you been?"

The paladin had just walked pass him and headed straight towards Firion who was still looking for their meal. "Just a morning walk is all," Tina replied as she entered the house they had slept in. She quickly put on her shoes, but it appeared that she had lost her hair tie. "Tidus…" she muttered. She quickly got back to her twin and asked for its whereabouts.

Tidus pulled his eyebrows together at the accusation. "What in the world would I do with your hair tie?" he asked rhetorically. Tina sighed, knowing he was right. She turned to Cecil, but he too, had not seen it. She was pretty sure Firion and Cecilia wouldn't have it either, so she gave up on it. After all, it _was_ just a hair tie.

Cecilia wrapped the berries she had found in an old piece of cloth she had found earlier. Firion was already heading back towards the others, two similar cloth bags in his hands. The paladin sighed. Things weren't going as smoothly as she had expected it to be. But who was to blame? It _was_ a war, so peace wouldn't actually be present. Family on the enemy's side also didn't help their situation.

Cecilia had treated Tina as a true friend, as a sister. She couldn't believe that everything was going down the drain just like that.

'_Emotional ties must be cut if needed in order to win this war…'_

_

* * *

_

_Once Again, I'm speechless about how I feel about this chap... Am I too stressed? It's not like I have this big performance tomorrow that I'm so nervous about... No, it's not like that. It's not that finals are just right around the corner... Nope. Nah, the long tests next week don't bother me, of course not._

_..._

_What the hell?_


	22. Odyssey II:III

**Odyssey II: III**

Frina huffed as she treaded the barren land. It was already unnerving that she was not familiar with the place, but the added darkness and lack of _human_ life sent strange chills down her spine. She had lost count of the days - or weeks - that she had been travelling alone. Time was no longer of any value to her. To survive was everything. Every step she took, every land she traversed, held the possibility of her disappearing and she knew it. The fear of losing herself to the madness was in itself making her crazy.

Her steps started to get heavier and heavier. Her breathing was shallower and required more energy. Food was scarce, but enemies never were. Just a moment ago she had fought for her life against two worm-like creatures. They proved more than she could handle; nevertheless, she managed to get out alive. What little healing spells she knew served her well too.

"Must this place always be the gathering of the lost?" a female asked sarcastically. Frina immediately turned towards the voice where she found a woman dressed in a garment of various colors. Frina had seen her once, but her name was not revealed to her as of yet.

"I'm not lost," the weapons master said defensively.

The woman moved closer, the frown on her face becoming more evident with each step. "Of course not," she snapped. "You have gone astray." She stopped a few feet before Frina, an incomprehensible look on her face. "You are more lost than any of the others."

Frina narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at?" She reached behind her and gripped her bow firmly. In response to her actions, the woman laughed without mirth.

"Your resolve is misplaced," she told Frina. "What you desire is a righteous one, but your means are not." The woman, Kelpie, sighed and crossed her arms. "That child… She had so much life in her that it was unbelievable that she was to be considered as one of us."

"Enough with this!" Frina demanded. "If you want to fight, then I'm up to it!"

Kelpie frowned at her with utter disgust. "Open your eyes Frina. What you believe, what you have been told, was a lie. Do you not see what has happened to you? The light Cosmos had so graciously given you is slowly fading. Your time is running out."

Frina froze, her words sinking in. "A-A lie?" The harlequin nodded, though her expression had not changed from irritation. "You mean… I'm not just some illusion?"

"No, you are not, and yet, at the same time, you are. We all are," Kelpie slowly said. "Fate is truly cruel to the likes of us."

"What are-"

"Do not fret, I will tell you everything. You have every right to know."

* * *

Matilda sighed. This was getting harder and harder for her. Her energy was slowly slipping away each second. She was not sure how long she had been travelling with the boy under the caves, nor was she sure that they were heading the right way. Magic had already been made available to her again, signaling that they were out of Figaro Castle, yet in her state, teleporting would be difficult. Luneth was more than capable, yet he was unsure of their destination, making it risky.

Luneth had been quiet while they were weaving through the maze-like tunnels. He was obviously deep in thought.

"I feel a draft," Luneth said out of the blue. Matilda moved closer to the boy and checked. Indeed, a gentle cool breeze was blowing past them. Luneth moved onwards, following the fresh air with Matilda close behind him.

A small light came into view and gradually grew bigger as they approached it. Matilda smiled as she realized what it was. "Escape," she murmured as she picked up her pace.

Luneth jumped out through the hole and onto the grass in glee. He was overjoyed to see the sun again. The boy took in a deep breath and exhaled with a sigh of pleasure. The fresh breeze was a welcome change to the stagnant air within the caves.

Matilda smiled at the boy's joy, but it was soon erased by an unexpected pain erupting from her chest. She immediately clutched onto the fabric of her garment out of instinct and took slow, steady deep breaths. The pain reduced, but her chest continued to throb at an irregular and alarming speed. She searched for the boy, finding him a moment later lying on the grass. Matilda moved closer and heaved a sigh, making her presence known to the peaceful knight.

"Y'know, thanks," Luneth said, sincerity evident in the tone of his voice. He had his eyes closed and his mouth in a contented smile. "For getting us out, I mean. We could have been trapped there who knows how long." He opened his emerald green eyes to look at the Empress who had an upset look on her face. "Is anything wrong?" he asked, sitting up.

"I need to leave," Matilda quietly replied.

Luneth pulled his eyebrows together in concern. "Leave? Where are you going?" the boy asked.

"I'm going back to where I belong," the Empress answered as she looked out into the distance. The green hills rolled on as far as the eye could see. Moving figures glittered in the distance, no direction in their movement. _'Manikins.'_

Her words made Luneth frown. They were too similar, too familiar, for his liking. "Exactly where?"

"I apologize, but I must take my leave now," Matilda said, giving emphasis to the last word, signaling finality. Luneth was about to speak up again, but the woman had already begun speaking again. "Luneth, I'm really sorry, but, as much as I want to help, there is only so much I can do."

Luneth looked at her and sighed. "You're going to run into trouble, aren't you?"

"Of course," Matilda quietly replied, almost sad at what she knew was to come.

"Will I ever see you again?" Luneth asked.

Matilda took her time before answering the question. The chances were slim of them crossing paths once again, yet who was she to say that it was not possible? "I… don't know." She saw the boy turn downcast, making her feel guilty. He was, after all, a child, an orphan, to be precise, who bore the heavy title of the Onion Knight. He was burdened the responsibilities even a full-grown man struggled to fulfill.

With a heavy heart, she turned away and, with the last of her energy, conjured a black portal leading back to where the likes of them usually convened, the Interdimensional Rift. "Your friend, Terra, was it? Why don't you go find her? She'd be glad to see you safe."

She heard the boy mumble something, but the sound of whirling magic muted his already soft voice. She frowned to herself.

'_Time is running out.'_

_SUMMER!_


	23. Odyssey IX:II

**Odyssey IX:II**

Zina frowned. She was not liking their current situation.

The female genome ducked as a ball of fire whizzed by and countered with a spell of her own. Thunder cracked and lighting rained down from the heavens, hitting everything within its area. She sensed another of the crystalline copies and immediately turned about, blades positioned to block and counter. The purple form immediately shattered upon contact while another took its place and attacked with a crescent of energy rushing towards her.

Zina immediately jumped away, letting the beam shatter the rest of the manikins that were standing behind her. She gasped for air as she got onto higher ground. This was going on for too long. She could see Zidane from her vantage point, and it was evident that he, too, was tired. The manikins, on the other, seemed to keep coming and coming.

Zina narrowed her eyes as a lone manikin caught sight of her and started making its way towards her. Something was peculiar about that manikin and it made her even angry. She let it come closer, assuming that she could take it on. It was bright blue in color and had long hair. She had seen several manikins bearing the same appearance, yet this one was different.

The manikin was still several feet away, yet in a blink of an eye, it had crossed the distance and had its long, thin blade a mere centimeters way from the genome's face. Zina quickly dodged, receiving only minimal injury, escaping with a cut to the face. Before she could even take up a stance, the manikin charged again, sword ready.

The genome cursed under her breath and grunted as she tried to block. She managed to do so, but was pushed off of the ledge she was standing on. Zina winced as she abruptly turned around, positioning herself so that she would land on her feet. When she landed though, she felt something break beneath her. That something made itself known when she screamed in agony.

Zidane turned towards his comrade's voice and saw her on the floor, clutching her leg. "Zina!" he called as he rushed towards her, slashing away the manikins that were blocking his path.

Zina shot multiple fireballs and each hit its target, reducing the incoming manikins. A hand came into view and she looked up to see Zidane. "Grab my hand. We need to get outta here!" he said. Zina growled inwardly. He was right. They had no chance if she was injured. But the chances of escaping were even slimmer if Zidane had to carry her.

"No, go on ahead. I'll catch up," she said through her teeth. She grazed a hand on her broken leg and assessed the damage. Unfortunately, she felt something jut out of her skin.

The other genome gave her a look. "Are you insane? Now come on!" Zidane shouted as he forcefully took her by the arm and lifted her up. Some pressure was forced on Zina's fractured leg, causing her grunt in pain.

"You idiot! Don't move me that fast!" she scolded.

"Sorry," he mumbled out quickly as he got her onto his back. As soon as she was as secure as he could get her, he started running away, dodging and blocking the manikins to the best of his capabilities.

Zidane jumped of off the ledge knowing that the manikins won't be able to follow. The next floating tower was within his jumping range, but at the least unexpected moment, it disappeared.

"Zidane!" Zina screamed into his ear, making him cringe.

"I know!" he shouted back. The next one they could land on was too far and they couldn't go back. His mind went into overdrive as his thoughts raced, hoping to find a way for them to get away.

"Float!"

The two genomes widened their eyes as they landed on an invisible platform. They looked around and two figures in red waving from one of the floating buildings.

Zina narrowed her eyes. "Tony? Tony!" she called.

"Stop shouting into my ear!"

"Oh shut up and walk!" Zina barked back, Zidane wordlessly complying. As soon as they were out of harm's way Zidane gently set Zina down on the cement, the latter groaning. "Ever heard of the word gentle?"

"Ever heard of quiet?" Zidane countered.

"Ever heard of gentlemanly?"

"Ever heard of lady-like?"

"Ever heard of-"

"Ahem!" The two genomes turned and saw Tony with a sly smile on his face and Terra right behind him. "I see we're getting along just nicely."

"Oh please Tony, just…" Zina groaned. She turned back to her leg. It was bleeding. "How wonderful! My leg is bleeding!" she said sarcastically.

"Well, it's your fault you're fragile," Zidane whispered to himself. Zina had heard what he said, giving him a punch to the leg.

Terra approached the bleeding girl and knelt down to her level. "Let's take a look at how bad it is," she said as she inched the girl's pant leg higher. The half esper frowned at the extent of the damage. A little bone was visible, but it was nothing a very strong cure spell could fix. "You just broke one of your bones. You must have landed with great impact," Terra said as she started getting to work.

"Shouldn't you be helping her?" Zina pointedly said.

Tony shook his head. "I'm no good with healing spells."

"Typical," Zina commented, shaking her head. She turned towards the main floating structure. She could still make out the crystalline figures, some falling off the edge in an effort to get to them. "I was weak," she mumbled to herself. Terra, who was the closest, was the only one who heard her.

"Don't say that," she said. "You did your best. Things just didn't go the way you planned."

"You don't know what you're talking about. These past few days, I've always been getting into trouble," Zina told her. The men were having a little chat a few feet away, just out of hearing distance. "You don't know how many times I've been stabbed, sliced, electrocuted, frozen, burned, drenched and shot ever since I got here."

Terra could only respond in silence. "And what annoys me to no end is that I have to almost always depend on him," she said, nudging her head towards Zidane's direction. "I hate portraying the damsel in distress."

The half esper looked down and noticed that the other's leg was already healed. "All done. Try walking on it."

Zina obeyed and stood up. Her leg felt numb, but it was working nonetheless. She smiled. "Thanks."

Terra smiled back. "You're welcome."

At the same moment, the two men joined them. "You alright no Zina?" Tony asked as he went up to her.

"Yeah, better than ever," she replied as she started stretching. "Let's get going Zid-"

"Thank you very much for helping her," Zidane smoothly said as he took Terra's hands in his. "You don't know how much it means to me that you selflessly healed her." Zina's eyebrow twitched as she watched, her arms crossed. Tony, on the other hand, didn't take it as quietly.

A hand took Zidane by the ear, causing him to let go. "Don't you dare get any ideas," Tony warned as he moved closer to Terra.

"Come on Zidane. You don't want to mess with him when he's pissed," Zina said as she started dragging her companion by the ear. When she got to the edge, she jumped and landed effortlessly on the next building. Zidane waved them goodbye before following the girl.

* * *

Kajie floated aimlessly around the castle. Ultimecia was away, probably off to discuss with the Emperor, leaving Artema behind. Artema was more than willing to have company. Aside from Kelpie, Artema was one of those she could consider as friends. She could pour out all her thoughts to the two of them without any inhibition.

"Is anything wrong Kajie?" Artema asked when he noticed the genome had settled down onto her feet and started walking about.

The woman stiffened for a moment, but immediately tried to calm down before he could notice. "No. Everything's fine," she replied softly as she looked down into darkness which the broken staircase spiraled into.

"You know better than to lie to me," the time mage said as he teleported right beside the genome.

He was right. Kajie knew that lying was not one of her talents. She knew people could read her like a book when she did. It was so easy for others to find out what she was hiding when she talked. That's the reason why she opted to keep quiet.

She was never the one to boast. She was far from flashy, unlike Kuja. Rather than take the lead, she'd be content with taking a supporting role.

"Well Kajie? You do not have to tell me if it's against your will," Artema said.

Kajie took a deep breath and sighed. "Kelpie. She's trying to help them. She wants to tell them."

The man nodded. Indeed, Kelpie, like Kajie, kept to herself. Among them, it was also Kelpie who had changed the most. Her will was broken from the very beginning of this cycle, but due to an event, she had started to act, her feelings awakening.

"What is she trying to do?"

Kajie turned to Artema, her blue eyes avoiding eye contact. "She… She's talking to them. She wants to end this tragedy."

Again, Artema nodded. "It would be helpful if they knew, but Light herself disapproves of the idea. But then again, who is she to stop us?" Kajie widened her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak up, but Artema had continued to talk. "Yes, I plan to help her."

The genome sighed. "Well, if the three of you are helping the Warriors of Cosmos out, then I'd gladly join the cast."

"Three?" Artema repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Kajie nodded, a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. "Claudine has fallen. Saphirna had no choice but to assimilate. Right now, she's travelling with Cloud, leading him to Sephiroth."

"I see… And how is Cloud fairing?"

"He's… not so comfortable with the pairings."

* * *

_Save file for Duodecim…. Corrupted… All my hard work…_


	24. Odyssey VII:IV

**Odyssey VII:IV**

Cloud closed his eyes, his eyebrows pulled together. He was not liking the presence he was feeling. The person travelling with him gave off that energy that always made him alert. He couldn't blame the woman for being who she was, but she gave of a peculiar feeling. Her aura was familiar, yet wherever he felt it eluded him.

"Cloud? Are you alright?" Saphirna asked, stopping a bit for him to catch up.

The ex-SOLDIER nodded his head. "I'm fine. Are you sure we're near?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

'_**He's lying, y'know'**_ a voice inside the silverette's mind echoed.

'_You think I don't know that?'_ she countered sourly.

'_**Umm… Maybe?'**_

Saphirna frowned. She had not known that assimilating Claudine would posses such disadvantages. Now that she had, she realized that Claudine was not entirely lost. _'Now I remember why I want to kill you,'_ Saphirna thought to herself.

'_**That hurts!'**_

'_Unfortunately, not enough.'_

Cloud's obvious cough stopped Saphirna's internal conflict and drew her attention. Saphirna turned to Cloud and tilted her head innocently. "Anything wrong?" she asked in a sweet voice. The blonde answered with a shake of a head and continued walking through the cold, snow-covered terrain. Despite the temperature, the pair had not halted for warmth or searched for shelter against the cold winds.

"We're near…" Cloud said quietly, his eye narrowed at the crater that gave off an eerie green light. "Stay alert. We don't know what Sephiroth is planning."

Saphirna frowned at how right he was. Of course, over the time she had been spending with Cloud, she should be suffering from withdrawal. Her body should have gone numb long ago and her innards burning like wild. Her brain should have ceased its functions and she should be far from sane. It was because of one person that she had survived for this long: _'Claudine'_

The pair had continued trudging through the snow when Saphirna suddenly stopped in her tracks. Cloud stopped as well and turned around to face her. She had her head down and facing the ground, her long, silver hair effectively hiding her expression.

"Cloud?" she softly said, her voice almost a whisper.

The said blonde stepped closer in order to hear better. "Yeah?" he replied.

There was a brief moment of silence before she continued. "Here on out…. I… It might get rough," she started. "Inside that crater, I'm not sure if I can defend against his mind games. There might be a possibility that I can turn against you. So, if ever it comes to that…"

"Don't talk like that," Cloud interrupted. "You might be Sephiroth's copy, but you have your own will. He can't control you. He _won't_ control you. You're… not a puppet."

The silverette shook her head. "No! You don't understand Cloud! Just, just… I'm only asking one thing." Saphirna raised her head, revealing teary, glowing blue eyes. The sight made him step back. _**"Please," **_Saphirna pleaded, Claudine's voice overlapping with hers,_** "Don't hesitate to strike us down."**_

"C-Claudine?" Cloud hesitantly said. Almost immediately, Saphirna's green eyes returned, as well as their feline characteristics. "Was that-"

In an instant, Saphirna's expression changed from sad to confused. "Is anything wrong Cloud? You suddenly look pale."

"What do you mean, 'anything wrong'? You just…" Cloud stopped himself. He was going to sound insane if he told her what he had seen and heard. But, it was impossible for her to not notice, right?

"Well, if it's about Sephiroth, don't get yourself all nervous and stuff. You have a fight to prepare for." A grin made its way onto Saphirna's phase, her eye glinting with humor. "Don't worry, I'll be right there to help you as much as I can~!"

* * *

"So, you came," Sephiroth greeted, a trace of a smirk on his face. "As expected, a puppet can only do what it is told." He eyes travelled to Cloud's companion, making him even more amused. "And the pretender can only keep up its illusion for so long."

The pair considerably tensed, both drawing their weapons, eyes trained at the man before them. "This end now Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted. "I won't fall for any of your mind games anymore!"

"Oh really? Because the woman you were with said almost the same thing before succumbing," the ex-general smugly said. "But then you," he said as he turned to his twin, "tried to save her, by passing a blade through her body."

Saphirna growled audibly, Cloud visibly flinching. "It was a mistake. That blow was meant for you, you bastard! She could've survived had you not abandoned your control over her!" she retorted.

"What's the difference?" Sephiroth simply replied. "You still killed her."

"You-"

Cloud was cut off by Saphirna continuing her lashing out. "Yes. I killed her, but it wasn't supposed to be like that," Saphirna interjected. She turned then turned to Cloud, eyes begging. "Cloud, I'll take any punishment you'll give me for such an unspeakable act, but right now…" The female silverette turned to the man before them, eyes filled with anger and determination. "His time is up."

Without any other word, Saphirna lunged at Sephiroth, the former having her sword in hand and positioned to kill. Sephiroth easily evaded the attack and prepared his own, but he was interrupted by Cloud's quickly approaching Buster Sword from behind. The former general vanished and reappeared on one of the higher platforms that floated about.

"You're being unfair Cloud. Two against one? Hardly anything that you'd call fair. So you have come to accept that I am stronger than you, needing an aid?" Sephiroth said, his smugness evident in the tone of his voice.

The pair momentarily stopped and turned to each other. "Saphirna?" Cloud called after a few moments of silence between them.

"Yeah?"

"Go somewhere safe. I need to do this alone. If I ever have to face him, I need to face him on my own," he said. Saphirna widened her eyes and was about to speak about how absurd he was being, but deep down inside her, she knew he was right. She also knew that even if she argued with him, she'd still allow him to go on his own in the end.

With a heavy heart, she turned around. "Don't you dare die," she whispered as she walked past him. Cloud nodded and started to take his stance.

Saphirna glanced back for a moment before heading looking for a good place for her to watch. Of course, he had asked her to go away, but she needed to be sure he was alright.

* * *

'_**I'm worried…'**_

'_If you are, then he most likely isn't .'_

'_**But what if-'**_

'_Shut up.'_

'_**But!'**_

'_We've gone over this, haven't we? This was never our fight. This was never our war. Never was, never will.'_

* * *

The silverette watched from a higher platform as the two faced each other. Cloud had the upper hand. It was to be expected. Not everything went Saphirna. A small part went to Sephiroth, but majority of what was left of her was returned to Cloud. Saphirna was now only existing as a vessel for the weak Claudine.

Complicated and twisted, that was everything was. Not only had this war of the gods repeated itself for countless cycles, but it also had to drag them in as well. How they came to exist was unknown to any of them, but some knew what would become of them in the end.

As Cloud was about to deliver the final blow, Saphirna felt something force her to the site of the battle. The force was not painful; rather, it was very calming and comforting. She didn't know what it was, but the comfort she was feeling made her feel complete, enough to not hesitate to follow it. With closed eyes, she started making her way back down.

'_**It feels nice…'**_

'_Mhmm…'_

'_**This is where…'**_

'… _our story ends.'_

* * *

Cloud, with the last of his strength, swung his massive sword and hit Sephiroth square at the chest. There was no doubt he was finished.

Sephiroth staggered back, blood drenched and sweating. He was about to attempt another attack, but his body could endure no more, his brain no longer making any of his body part to move.

"This ends now," Cloud said as he watched the battered general. A small speck of light suddenly appeared before him. It grew until he was blinded by the light it emitted. As the light started to fade away, a small green orb floated before him. It oddly looked like materia. "The crystal…"

The fallen general chuckled darkly as his eyes gazed upon it. "Take it and you'll be dragged into even more battles without knowing why," he said as black smoke suddenly started to surround him. He watched as Cloud took hold of it without any sign of hesitation. "So you have decided."

"If it's how it's going to play out, then there's no other way," Cloud responded. A sliver of silver caught his eye and turned to see Saphirna staring at the crystal. Her eyes were wide and were almost tearing up.

"You… got it."

"Indeed, he did," Sephiroth answered. "And you know what would happen to you if he did." The rest of Sephiroth's body slowly started to disappear, though his final words still lingered. "I'll never be… a memory."

Cloud turned to the heavens as he heard his enemy's voice start to fade away. He would have stared for an even longer time, but the fading presence nearby bothered him. He turned to face Saphirna and widened his eyes as he saw Claudine right beside her.

"Hi Cloud~!" she cheered as she hugged him tightly. "I knew you could do it!"

"Right," Saphirna said sarcastically. "You were the one who was saying we need to help and all that."

"You're mean!" Claudine spat, turning to the silverette.

Cloud, at a loss for words, stared at the two women before him. He was completely confused as of now. He was sure that Saphirna had said Claudine was dead, but the blonde who still had her arms wrapped around his head was not an illusion. "C-Claudine?" he finally managed to say.

The said woman turned to him and gave him a bright smile as she let go of her hold on him. "I wasn't really dead Cloud. As long as you're alive, I can't," Claudine said as if it was the most simple of things. Cloud was about to speak up again when Saphirna started to talk.

"We're not really what you think Cloud. We're not like you, but rather, we _are_ you," she said, confusing the ex-SOLDIER. It was then that the green mist floating about the area became thicker near the two women, they figures blurring. "If you don't understand yet, it's alright, we don't either."

"All we know is that by getting your crystals," Claudine said, pointing at the green orb, "we all get to go home. It's just that me and her, we get to go back earlier."

"What are you talking about?" Cloud asked, evidently confused as he watched them slowly disappear. "I don't… I don't understand."

The two women smiled at him. "You will…" they said in unison before completely vanishing into thin air.

'_We know you will.'_

* * *

_Yeah! Done with that one!_

_Finally got back on Duodecim! Wasting KP on summons and buying those alternate costumes for all them. Confessions of the Creator is INSANE!_

_WOOOHOOO! It's good to be out of school._


	25. Odyssey VI:III

**Odyssey VI:III**

Artema and Kajie waited at the mad harlequin's lair for hours before the person they were waiting for turned up. The jester, noting their presence, immediately knew why they were here.

"I thought you swore you'd tell no one," Kelpie hissed, eyeing the man in red. "Are you two going to stop me? You know you can't even if you tried."

Kajie's eyebrows pulled together as concern started to come over her. "It's not like that Kelpie. We-"

"We offer our help," Artema interjected, earning him a dubious look from the clown. "It has come to my attention that you cannot achieve this on your own, so Kajie and I are offering our assistance."

Kelpie's facial expression changed from disbelieving to anger to sadness to worry then to simple contentment. "You seriously are fools," she whispered with a bit of humor in her voice.

A small smile found its way to Kajie's lips. "We're all gonna die anyway, so why not have some fun and mess with the _real_ Chaos warriors?"

"Of course. Why not?" Kelpie said, a mischievous smile on her face.

* * *

Terra quietly followed Tony as he hopped onto one floating platform to another. They had still found no clues leading to where the deranged jester could have brought Luneth, and by a stretch, Luna.

"We're gonna find them, y'know…" Tony said, not only trying to lift Terra's spirit up, but also his own. He was not at all worried by the two Onion Knights, but he was worried about Terra. He could sense the turmoil within her, and it was possible that she could also sense the conflict with himself.

"I… I know but you know that we can lose control of our powers. I know it. You know it. What if we hurt even more people?" Terra said, worry all over her face.

Tony shook his head. "Stop thinking like that. You're always on the negative side of things. Don't you know optimism? Like, we're going to find them and get our crystals and save the worlds?" Terra's head sank, ashamed. "Come on Terra. You need to look at the brighter side of things…"

The female esper's form continued to sink towards the ground, clutching her head. "Terra?" A piercing scream came from the woman and an aura of power surrounded her. "Terra! What's happening?"

"No! Not again!" Terra shrieked before finally losing it. She transformed into her esper form, a feral creature covered in purple fur. Tony was about to try and get her back to her senses, but he too, was starting to lose control. He could hear a tiny voice whispering horrible things to his mind. He could feel unbearable heat within him.

Tony took a step closer to Terra, doing his best to calm her down while controlling his own power. "Be strong Terra!" he cried out. "This isn't you!" Terra could only respond in animalistic growls, teeth exposed and gold claws ready to rip.

The creature, Terra, charged at Tony without any hesitation. Tony, struggling to keep his sanity, narrowly dodged the attack. Terra growled and prepared to attack again. She ran towards him a blinding speed and before the man react, Terra had already clawed him, giving him a long cut on his chest.

The male esper stumbled back, panting. Tony heard a loud crash and looked up to see a man with spiky blonde hair. "You're-" His statement was cut off by a scream of pain. "Run! You can't take the two of us!" he screamed before transforming into his esper form. Unlike Terra, he was covered in pale yellow fur. His hair hand grown longer, reaching past his bare shoulders and his eyes had turned red.

The blonde maintained his expressionless face and readied his sword. "Then I'll just have to try," he said, charging at him. He swung his sword downwards, only to strike the ground. Tony had quickly moved out of the way and took a crouching stance. Before the blonde could even raise his weapon, Tony sent numerous fire balls at him. The man had successfully blocked and dodged the flaming orbs, but he became too preoccupied that he didn't expect Tony to follow up with a physical attack.

The man skidded back, his huge blade stabbed to the ground in order to prevent him from completely sliding. A growl came from behind and he turned to see the pink creature that was Terra. She had her claws ready to strike, leaving no time for the blonde to counter or dodge the attack. The man prepared to receive the attack, but another growl, more desperate, had come from the female esper.

He turned to see the feral creature fall to one of the lower platforms, growling as it got to its feet. "To fight to espers gone wild is suicide Cloud. And to think I expected you to have more sense in you." Cloud turned to the voice and found Frina standing on one of the huge boulders.

"Frina!"

The said woman narrowed her eyes. "Save the talk. Now is the time to survive," she said, unsheathing her sword and swinging it at an incoming Tony. The force behind her attack sent the esper flying back, giving Frina the chance to reach for her bow and shoot. The arrow hit its intended target, pushing back the esper even further.

Cloud nodded as he turned to the other esper. He searched for her, but she was nowhere in sight. A low rumble from beneath him caused him to look down. He quickly jumped away from where he was standing as numerous pillars of water burst out of the ground. He looked around for the esper and found her glaring right at him from one of the higher floating rocks. Terra immediately rushed towards him, claws crackling with magical energy. Cloud used his Buster sword to block the attack and slam the woman into the nearest boulder.

Terra could only growl, her burning rage evident in her golden eyes. She quickly recovered and charged in for another attack. Cloud raised his blade to block her claws, but the esper had merely jumped over him. The ex-SOLDIER turned around and saw Terra head for Frina who was busy intercepting Tony's attack with her own.

It was too late when Frina detected the approaching presence and felt Terra's sharp claws tear through her light armor and into her skin. Tony took advantage of the weapon master's vulnerability and connected with his own attacks as he clawed downwards.

Frina collided with one of the floating rocks and slid down, landing on a platform with a thud. She scrambled to her feet, knees shaking as blood oozed out from the new wounds. The two espers landed near her, both starting to circle around her.

'_Like prey for the lions,'_ she bitterly mused, reaching for her lance. Cloud landed right behind her, back against back.

"Where's Firion and the others?" Cloud whispered.

Frina, not finding it to be the right time to talk about such things, frowned. "Must you ask questions at the wrong time?" she whispered back harshly. They watched as the two espers continued to stalk them. For some reason, they had ceased their mindless attacks and were quietly eyeing them. Frina continued to observe them when she noticed their movements getting slower.

"Cloud, they're worn out," she said. "One more strike would be enough to knock them out." Cloud nodded. "Take the nearest one on the count of three." Frina narrowed her eyes as she saw the espers grow unstable. The power they had was beyond their control, causing it to crackle. "One." Tony growled as he braced for another attack, sparks flying from his claws. "Two." Terra slowed down, sharp teeth exposed as she crouched down. "Three."

The two warriors jumped into action as each tried to overpower an esper. Frina swung her lance, knocking Tony out of balance. She followed up with an upward swing, sending the esper up into the air. She jumped up and hit him with the blunt end of her weapon, forcing him to come crashing down back to the ground.

Cloud slashed downwards, a wave of energy heading straight for Terra. She quickly dodged it but was caught in another attack. Cloud tossed the surprised esper up into the air only to swing downwards for her to crash onto the ground. Terra still managed to stand, sending orbs of light at the blonde. The orbs, however, diffused before they even hit Cloud as Terra suddenly reverted back to her human form. Face filled with confusion and stress, Terra fainted. Tony's fallen form also returned into its original body, breathing heavy.

"They reverted," Cloud noted as he saw Frina approach from the corner of his eye.

Frina nodded. "She always feared her powers, preventing her from ever controlling them. She'll have to learn to accept them if she wants to survive this war," she whispered, mostly talking to herself, but Cloud had heard her every word.

"What about Tony?" he asked.

"He's fine. He never had any problem with his abilities, but because of _her,_" she said pointedly, "Tony's control began to wane as well."

Cloud frowned at the implication. "What do you mean? Terra is causing his pain?"

Frina turned away to recover Tony's unconscious form and dragged it nearer to Terra's. "Yes and no," she replied as she sat down beside them. She pulled out a two potions and tossed one towards Cloud. "Take it. You need it." She removed the cap off of her bottle and quickly drank the bittersweet liquid. After consuming its contents, Frina tossed the bottle away, coughing from its unpleasant flavor. She turned to Cloud noticing the unopened bottle. "It's not poisoned or anything y'know," she laughed, cracking a smile.

Cloud, appreciating her sense of humor, drank the potion as well. The potion was anything was tasty, but its effects were quick acting. "Back to my question," Cloud said after a few moments of silence. "Where's Firion and the others?"

Frina smirked. "I might ask the same thing. Where's Claudine?" she asked, her expression turning dead serious.

"She…" Cloud didn't have the heart to say that her comrade was gone, but he also didn't have the slightest idea on what to say. An amused chuckle came from the silverette, causing him to turn to her and raise an eyebrow.

"No need to damage your brain," she joked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "She's fine, trust me."

The ex-SOLDIER could only stare. "How'd you-"

"She told me."

"Who?"

"Kelpie, the mad jester's long lost sanity," Frina told him, sitting down on the ground and patting the space beside her, asking him to sit as well. "It's a twisted plan that Mateus had formulated."

Cloud pulled his eyebrows together at confusion. "Plan for what?"

Frina turned to him, eyes narrowed. "We, meaning me, Claudine, Luna and the others, are… How can I explain this clearly?" she sighed, not finding the right words to make him understand. Kelpie had the same problem when she had explained it to her. "We… We exist because the rest of you do. The way Claudine disappeared, she didn't really die. She returned to you," she said, pointing a finger directly at his chest.

"Returned? Who are you exactly?"

"I'm Firion. At the same time, I'm not." Frina saw the confusion in his eyes and could only laugh. "Let me put it in your case. You, Cloud Strife, are the savior of your world. Throughout your travels you have suffered immense loss, not only your hometown, family and friends, but also your identity. You have lived your life blaming yourself and thinking what you could have done to make it all better. Claudine on the other hand, is a strong, happy woman. She could take anything while still having a smile on her face. She could practically die smiling."

"How did you figure out all of that? You don't have any idea about what I've been through," Cloud interjected, his tone a bit sour.

Frina pulled her knees towards her and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. "Claudine was the part of you that you had lost. She was everything that you could hardly be. She was person you locked up within yourself because you could not bring to forgive yourself." At that, Cloud could say nothing.

"When we materialized, we took a part of your energy in order to survive. But that energy could only suffice for only so long. As you may or may have not noticed, I have gotten a lot thinner, paler even," she said with an unamused smile.

Cloud took a good look at her and found that she was, in fact, thinner. Her once pinkish cheeks had almost turned into depressions on her face. Her brown eyes had lost their sparkle. Her skin had lost its glow and color. "What happened to you?" he asked, not realizing he had opened his mouth.

The expression on the weapons master's face turned into that of sadness. She quietly stood up and turned away. "I had lost my way. This is what happens when our energy depletes. What's worse, with every day that I go alone, the pain makes me want to claw myself. When we have extinguished the last of our energy, after a lot of suffering mind you, we just vanish."

"Vanish? Meaning to return to whomever you're part of, right?"

The silverette shook her head. "No. We just go away. Never to walk the earth again. Never to see the people we love. Never to breathe the fresh air. That is the reason why I'm looking for Firion. Through him, I can live. Not physically, but what he experiences, I experience as well. I would rather have that than nothing at all."

"To live… You want it so badly, don't you?" Cloud asked after a few moments of silence.

Frina nodded. "Yes. This time being in this made up world, it gave me the opportunity to feel what it's like to hurt, love and grieve. A taste of life, so to speak," she explained. "It is my fault for having enjoyed this experience, but I can no longer deny that I want a life I can call my own. I'm sure you can relate?" she finished with a giggle.

The two sleeping figures started to toss and turn, soft mumbles coming from both of them. Frina turned to them and raised an eyebrow. "It was nice talking to you Cloud, but I still need to look for Firion." Frina was about to leave when Cloud gripped her arm.

"So Claudine, she's not entirely gone?"

Frina widened her eyes at the unexpected question. "Based on my understanding, no. I do not know where she is or what she's doing, but she is safe. You can Tina that, if ever you come across her again."

Content with her answer, Cloud released his hold and watched her disappear as she made her way up and out of the crater. A soft curse grabbed Cloud's attention and he turned to Tony who was already sitting down, clutching his head.

"Damn it. I feel like I fell from an airship," he groaned as he tried to get his bearings. He saw a hand appear before him and looked up to see Cloud. "You… You were the one I saw before I went wild. You stayed?" The ex-SOLDIER nodded. Tony took hold of the other blonde's hand and felt himself being pulled up. "You actually took on the two of us?" he asked, not believing that a lone man could survive two berserk espers.

"No, I-"

"_Frina prefers that you keep this under wraps for the time being Cloud."_ Cloud widened his eyes as the familiar voice spoke. _"Tony will understand when Terra gets her crystal. But when Tony's gone, Terra needs someone to explain everything. It would be better that way, don't you think?"_

"Hello?" Cloud stepped back as a hand moved up and down before his face. "Are you alright?" Tony asked. "You actually beat the both of us?"

"Ah. I… I did," Cloud replied, hearing a soft giggle within his mind. "Terra fainted after a short period of time so I only had to deal with you."

The half esper chuckled. "Typical Terra, getting weak knees in the middle of a battle. Well, anyway, thanks for helping us out. The name's Tony," he said as he offered a hand. Cloud stared at him for a moment before taking his hand and giving it a good shake.

"Tony?" Terra mumbled as she got to her senses. "What… What happened?" she struggled to say as Tony immediately tried to help her up. "I remember… a burning sensation and then, nothing." She turned and saw Cloud standing not too far from them, clothes a bit tattered and stained with blood. "Cloud?"

Terra suddenly remembered what Kefka had said. She was only meant to destroy and hurt. Her eyes widened as she came to a conclusion. "I… I tried to kill you, didn't I? I lost control again and hurt you, didn't I?" she said, her panic evident in her voice. A hand on her shoulder pulled her away from the horrible outcomes that she imagined if she had actually killed him.

"Relax Terra. You didn't kill him, alright? He was strong enough, so don't fuss over it. He actually helped us calm our powers, didn't he?" he gently said, comforting his twin.

"Helped?" Cloud interjected, not understanding how he could've helped by fighting them.

Tony nodded. "We needed to release the built up power we had, and by engaging you in combat, we managed to vent out that power. So, thanks I guess," the half esper said. Terra nodded as well, further confirming Tony's explanation.

"Thank you," she quietly said, her gratitude not failing to show. "You helped us, even though you knew you could get hurt."

Cloud turned away, not expecting their thanks when he had almost cut them down. "I guess I can still help, huh Claudine?"

"_Of course you can you pathetic excuse for a soldier," _the voice in his head chimed.

"What was that?" Tony asked. Cloud shook his head, dismissing what he had said. "Well, we should get going Terra. The Crystal awaits. Mind coming with us Cloud? Might be pretty lonely going off on your own. Having someone to watch your back isn't a pretty bad idea either."

The ex-SOLDIER took a moment to think before nodding. "I'll try to help as much as I can."

The two half espers gave him a smile before starting to head out of the place. Cloud, despite knowing the place very well, did not offer to take the lead. Instead, he dug deep into his thoughts, looking for someone.

"_You idiot. Stop looking for me and start helping them. Tony's completely helpless when it comes to directions."_

* * *

_Done and done. If you're confused, don't worry, I am too. It'll all get better, hopefully._


	26. Odyssey VIII:III

**Odyssey VIII:III**

"Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Quistin repeatedly cursed as she and her comrade travelled through the strange terrain. It bore no signs of life, but the glow from the crystal surfaces gave off a comforting warmth. The warmth, however, gave the gunblader no solace. The shimmer of the crystals around her could not pull her away from her thoughts. _'I should've done something. Anything. I should've been there earlier. I shouldn't have been so helpless…'_

Tears unconsciously started to run down her cheeks. It was when Squall had offered a piece of cloth that she realized that her face was moist. "Crying shows weakness. The enemy will easily exploit that weakness."

Quistin took the piece of cloth and started wiping away the tears from her eyes. "Yeah, I guess so," she mumbled as she got a better view of her surroundings. Platforms and pillars of various sizes floated everywhere. They were all seemingly made out of the same, crystal-like material. A mist covered the land below and the sky was obscured with clouds. At the moment, they were standing at the largest piece of crystal that was stable enough for them to rest.

"Your friend, she's very dear to you, wasn't she?" Squall asked, only looking at his companion from the corner of his eyes.

The woman nodded. "Among them all, Claudine was what I could consider my best friend in this world," Quistin stated. "But now… She's gone, because of that woman," she said, anger lacing her ever word. "If I ever see her again… I'll-"

"Threats do not suit you Quistin," a feminine voice chimed. The two gunbladers turned and saw two figures fully dressed in armor. "Nor do you ever live up to them."

"Light…" Quistin whispered. She quickly started to wipe off any remaining moisture so that their leader would not notice her recent depression. "Who's your friend?" she asked, pointing a finger at the other Warrior of Light.

"I am the Warrior of Light," Warrior introduced himself. The female gunblader gave him a look. "Is there something the matter?" he innocently asked, his stoic expression ever present.

Quistin crossed her arms. "What? Just a title? No name?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Warrior could only lower his head in shame. The female brunette widened her eyes at her mistake. "I'm… very sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

The Warrior shook his head. "There is no need for your apologies. I trust that when I retrieve my Crystal, my name, and my memories, will come back," he explained, raising his head. "It is only the two of you?"

Squall nodded. "She wouldn't leave me be, so she tagged along," he said, his eyes sending a glare towards the woman being referred to. Quistin stuck out her tongue, making Light chuckle at the childish action.

"I see you are faring well Quistin. I had felt a disturbance here a while ago, but it seems as though my worry was out of place," Light said with a kind smile on her face. "It's best that we be on our way, don't you agree?"

Warrior nodded. "Are you sure that you would not like us to join you? There is safety in numbers after all," he offered. A noticeable frown appeared on Squall's face.

'_Not another one…'_ he groaned to himself. _'I bet Quistin would immediately accept his offer.'_

"No, it's alright. We're fine on our own, thank you very much," Quistin politely declined, surprising the other SeeD. "Anyway, we might be heading different directions. We might just become a burden for each other."

Light narrowed her eyes at her friend. By what she knew of the brunette, she would welcome anyone's company. Her declining such companionship was strange for her. "Has something happened Quistin? Your eyes seem to be swollen. Have you been crying?"

The said woman widened her eyes in surprise. It wasn't that she didn't expect Light to notice, but it still caught her off guard. "No. I'm perfectly fine, see?" she said, flashing a bright smile. "No need to worry."

Squall, noticing Quistin's discomfort, decided to take matters into his own hands. "You should really get moving. If you want to cover more ground before the sun goes down, I advise you to get a move on. The two of us will be setting camp here for the mean time," he interjected.

Warrior made a hum of agreement. "Let us go," he stated, turning about.

"Alright. Take care Quistin… And good luck," Light whispered before following the Warrior. _'You'll need it. We all need it,'_ she thought to herself as she left.

The two gunbladers watched quietly as the two knights slowly disappeared from their view. When they were out of their sight, Quistin let a sigh of relief escape her lips. "Thanks Squall…" she muttered as she sat herself down onto the ground. "Light would've freaked if she found out." The brunette pulled her knees closer and wrapped her arms around them. "I… I don't know anymore Squall," she said, shaking her head. "I feel so… so helpless. I should've been there for Claudine. I should've… I should've done something," she cried, tears threatening to fall again.

Squall sighed. _'This is exactly why I steer clear of others,'_ he thought to himself as he watched the woman cry. _'I have nothing to do with this. She brought this upon herself. She shouldn't have become so attached.'_ The male gunblader pinched his nose, thinking of what to do. Quistin was crying and he had to make her stop and come to her senses.

Quistin shook as another wave of sadness came over her. She knew she needed to stop, but couldn't. Her tears just continued to flow down her cheeks, even though she knew there was nothing more to cry about. Her friend was dead and she couldn't do anything to save her. That was it. It was reasonable, but she had stopped thinking about it. She just couldn't stop. It was as if she hadn't cried for a long time.

A hand on her head made her stop her sniffing, but it didn't stop the tears. The hand ran through her hair gently, as if trying to calm her down. Quistin looked up and saw the hand belonging to Squall. The said gunblader had his face turned away, but nevertheless, the simple gesture made her smile.

"Thanks Squall," she whispered as she tried to look at the said SeeD's face. As soon as Squall heard her thanks though, he tightened his grip on her hair and forced her to stand up. "Ouch! What was that for?" she yelled, rubbing her scalp as soon as he had let go.

"You need to accept what had happened. We need to keep moving," Squall said as he started to walk towards on direction.

Quistin frowned. "But I thought we were camping here," she whined, crossing her arms.

"Change of-"

Quistin waited for him to finish his sentence, but he never did. She pulled her eyebrows together as she walked up to him. "Squall? You alright?" she called, but when she saw his face, she was even more confused. His mouth was open, as if trying to speak, but it only remained that way. He had frozen in place.

"Hey Squa~all~" she chimed, waving her hand before his face. "Hmmm…" She stepped back a little and it was then that she noticed something. The clouds had stopped moving. There was no wind. There was nothing to hear except for her own breathing and footsteps. "What the-" A black hole appeared right under her feet, quickly consuming her before she could even finish speaking.

* * *

Quistin groaned as turned to her side. _'Damn. What just happened?'_ she thought to herself as she tried to open her eyes. The bright light of the sun momentarily blinded her, but as soon as she regained her sight, she saw the clear blue sky. _'Pretty…'_ she mused, distracted.

"Ouch! Alright Zidane, what did you do this time?" a shrill voice yelled not far from the gunblader. "I know you're hiding somewhere you genome! Come out and I _might_ not kill you!" she threatened.

"Oh my head… Keep it down will ya?" another voice complained.

The gunblader finally decided to sit up and inspect her surroundings. "Huh?" It was the only thing that could she say as her comrades lay scattered on the ground, all clutching their heads. "Guys!" Quisitin called as she waved her arms to get their attention.

A confused Zina raised an eyebrow. "Quistin? Breeze? How'd you get here?" the genome asked, stopping her search for whoever had transported her here. It had only been a few days when she passed by this area.

"We might ask the same thing," Tina interrupted, Cecilia and Tony right beside her. "I remember everything stopping then some black hole sucked me and Ces in."

"We apologize for sending you here in such short notice, but not all of us have all the time in the world," a woman in jester's clothing said as she and four other figures came into view.

"You!" Tony hissed, ready to attack at any moment.

A genome with silver hair got between the two mages, eyes pleading. "Please, hear us out. This fighting… This struggle, it needs to be known," Kajie softly whispered. Zina could only narrow her eyes at her 'sister.'

Cecilia frowned, though her expression was hidden by the helm of her armor. "And why believe you? You are our enemy. This could be nothing more than a trap."

"Cecilia, I don't think we should jump to conclusions," Tina said as she stepped up beside her dark knight friend.

"Artema…" Quistin mumbled as she noticed the man cloaked in red. The said man merely nodded in acknowledgement of her presence.

Breeze, noticing that they were not complete, moved to the front of their group and asked, "Where are the others, Light, Luna, Claudine and Frina?" The brunette narrowed her eyes as the air grew silent. Quistin flinched as she registered Claudine's name. Tony couldn't help but feel ashamed that none of his comrades knew of Luna's whereabouts.

"I'm right here Breeze," Frina chimed as she moved from behind one of the castle's pillar. Tina and Cecilia grew wary as the silverette came into view. "No need to worry."

"And I am right here," Light announced as she walked pass the group and took the front. "You jester, what have you done this time?" she hissed, pointing a sword at the mage.

Kelpie shook her head. "I've done nothing. A simple announcement is all I have in mind," she calmly replied as she pushed the threatening blade to the side. "Besides, I think you know what I'm talking about." Light flinched as she caught wind of the jester's intentions.

"What is she talking about Light?" Quistin asked, confusion written all over her face.

The Empress turned to their 'leader' and sighed. She had no intention of participating in this little gathering. It was only a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong place. "The Truth," she whispered, her eyes turning towards the ground.

"So this is where everyone gets to know everything, huh?" Tina mumbled to herself. "So are we really…" The blitzball star couldn't bring herself to accept the reality. Her mother had told her everything, but even then she could not comprehend. It would mean that everything she was fighting for… wasn't real.

Light widened her eyes. "You know of it?" she gasped, turning to the blonde. Tina nodded in response, causing her to sigh. "Who… Who else knows?" Frina raised a hand. Light turned to her comrades, all greeting her with confused looks.

"So… We fade?" Cecilia spoke out, remembering her sister's words. "We disappear into nothingness?" Her statement earned mixed reactions. Zina and Breeze could only frown in confusion. Tina, Light and Frina turned away in hurt. Tony was about to burst in anger, not understanding. Quistin kept quiet, trying to make sense of it all.

"And I thought no one had the courage to say it," Feigh muttered as she crossed her arms. She had been the one who transported them here. At first it was unknown to her as to why Kelpie had asked her to bring them here, but she dared not to question her decisions.

Quistin still hadn't processed the information when she suddenly spoke. "Is that what happened to Claudine?"

"And to Luna?" Tony added, earning him surprised looks from his comrades.

Zina separated from the group and held Light by the breastplate, her blue eyes glaring into the others. "Answer us! If we're meant to disappear like trash, then what are we? Why fight?" she screamed at the warrior. Kajie looked away as her sister broke down. "You mean to say that everything we've lived through, everything we fought for… Was it all a lie? Were we just some experiment?"

Tina winced. "Were… Were we some dream the gods played with?" she whispered.

"A weapon to wreak more destruction than this war has already caused?" Tony asked softly, eyes downcast.

"Some soldier to do the bidding of the gods?" Cecilia said, crossing her arms.

Frina took a step closer to Light, her brown eyes narrowed. "A tool, perhaps?" Light shifted her glance from one warrior to another, their questions pressuring her. The gunblader sighed in defeat, having given up on trying to understand on her own.

"Just answer the question already. What's going on?"

* * *

_So far, I've been enjoying reliving my FFIV days on the PSP. It is a new FFIV experience. Thank Square Enix for AUTO. I'm currently working on Edge's Chapter in After Years._

_Oh yeah, a bit of foresight… or whatever that means… Anyway just to give a heads up, yeah that's better, I'm so not going to tell the whole tale of how they all get their crystals. That's just… too long and overly… exaggerated. So I may end it somewhere. Exactly where and when, I dunno…_


	27. Odyssey V:II

**Odyssey V:II**

"Just answer the question already. What's going on?"

The simple statement had frozen everyone, anticipating Light's answer. All eyes were on her and she didn't like it one bit. Breeze narrowed her eyes at their supposed 'leader', watching her every move. The mimic had stayed considerably quiet during the whole 'confrontation' and her patience could only last for so long. So many things were still left unclear.

With an annoyed sigh, she crossed her arms. "If you won't tell us, I bet they're more than willing to," Breeze said as turned to her nemesis, Feigh. "Well? I'm as ready as hell to hear the damn explanation. Hurry up. I still have things to do afterwards."

Kelpie raised an eyebrow at the mime's bluntness, but welcomed it nevertheless. At least there was a willing soul that had seemingly resigned to their possible fate. "Where shall I start?" she sighed, pinching her nose.

"The beginning would be the best," Cecilia replied.

The Empress couldn't help but bitterly chuckle. "The beginning of which? The beginning of this cycle of conflict? The beginning of our pitiful struggle? Or the beginning of the lie perhaps?"

"No." Light lifted her downcast head and turned to face her comrades. "To expose this curse is nobody's burden but mine," she declared.

Frina let out a sound of content at the words of her friend. "It's about time you coward."

Light ignored the insult and took in a deep breath. "We… We are replicas of the original Warriors of Cosmos and of Chaos. It was no mistake that we were forced to partake in this conflict, for our existence gives a great advantage towards who collects the most."

"What did you say?" Tony blurted out, not even knowing he had spoken what was on his mind. "What advantage?"

Feigh decided to join in the conversation and stepped forward. "As replicas, we must amount to a certain degree of power. We were created by using part of our original copies' life force. There was one flaw though, to our design."

"We needed a continuous supply of that energy, that power, that life force," Matilda interjected. "We are not capable of living on our own."

Quistin widened her eyes. "So, Claudine's death…"

Frina shook her head. "Claudine was merely absorbed by Saphirna. By doing so, she managed to separate herself from Sephiroth for an indefinable amount of time," the weapons master explained. "By winning against Sephiroth, Cloud had successfully gained not only his crystal, but also his lost strength."

"Strength and power, huh?" Zina mused. "So who concocted this little experiment?"

The Warriors of Chaos shifted glances amongst each other before turning to Light. Light, in turn, shook her head. "None of us know. It could have been the Emperor, Garland or even Chaos himself." She paused for a moment, a thought crossing her mind. "Speaking of Chaos' right hand, where's Gardenia?"

"We needed to leave some behind as not to arise suspicion," Artema replied.

"So how does this transfer of power work exactly?" Tina asked, having mustered enough courage.

"Luna was the only one who had done the process correctly," Light said, turning to the blitzball star. "By defeating the corresponding opponent, the released energy is absorbed by the nearest compatible being. And when the original copy has acquired the crystal, that is the point where he is restored to his former state."

"And then what happens?" Breeze asked, causing an eerie silence to fall upon them. "Well?" she insisted after a few moments of no one answering her question.

"I… We do not know…" Light finally answered.

There was silence once again. Copies of the originals they were. Vessels of power that were given the experiences, the memories, the thoughts of another. How cruel can the gods be?

Quistin took a deep breath. "So everything we remember, was a lie?" Her question raised a few lowered heads, most of their expressions hurt at the implication.

Cecilia shook her head. "No. If what they say is true, then the memories we have are copies as well. We have only replaced their image with that of ourselves." She turned to Kelpie and asked, "Am I correct?"

The jester nodded. "The identities we have were from the energy that they had either lost or rejected. Our memories, on the other hand, were exact copies."

"And my sister wishes to avoid her fate by trying to overcome Golbez I suppose," the dark knight mumbled. The jester nodded once again.

Zina frowned. "So what are we supposed to do?"

"I say let us kill you~" a shrill, grating voice echoed. Surprised, everyone turned from side to side, looking for the intruder, but Kelpie was the most horrified. They had found them. "Oh goody! Looks like we're gonna have a blast!"

Breeze narrowed her eyes at a red figure on one of the overhead ledges. "Up above," she growled, summoning her blade. It was her own original weapon, not a copy of Zina's, Quistin's or Claudine's.

Artema widened his eyes as another red figure emerged. This time, a female and was right behind them. "Damn it," he cursed.

Ultimecia smiled. "Going anywhere?" she murmured. The witch shot numerous shards of purple energy, forcing them to move back.

"You insects," Mateus muttered as he emerged right beside Kefka. "Has your punishment not been enough Matilda?"

The said woman growled. "Bastard." The Emperor narrowed his eyes at the group. Several orbs of light started to appear around them, restricting them to the area.

"My, my… A woman with such a mouth would not do," a genome commented as he landed gently onto the ground. "It appears as though the cast is still incomplete." Kajie couldn't help but frown at the overconfident man.

Light found themselves completely out matched, not to mention surrounded. Based on number, they had clearly won, but because they were replicas, our endurance was overly lacking. If they were attacked with full force, who knows how long they would last.

Kelpie's mind went into overdrive. They would surely lose and everything would have been all for nothing. If all of them were to be defeated right then and there, their power would be given to them. The idea was unacceptable to the jester. Kelpie turned to Feigh. "Open it, now!"

The mage momentarily froze at the sudden request, but nevertheless opened a portal. "Do you expect to find solace in The Void?" a deep voice resounded. Feigh looked above her and saw the warlock himself, arms crossed above his chest.

Matilda, knowing how desperate Kelpie had become, knew what the jester was planning. "Frina! Light!" she called, drawing the two warriors' attention. "Go! Run! Everyone of you, run! Leave us here!" she commanded. She was greeted by confused expressions.

"If you were to die in their hands, the scales would tip to their favor," Artema calmly stated, his eyes still fixated at the time witch before him.

Quistin lowered her gunblade a bit. "That'd be suicide! You'll die!" she argued.

A dark chuckle came from the Emperor, causing them to focus their attention on him. "Do you really expect to escape? Do you really think that we will not be able to attain your power?" he told them.

Breeze gritted her teeth together. She saw the logic behind Kelpie's orders and couldn't help but entertain the idea of leaving. With a sigh of resignation, she turned to Feigh. "You're not going to let him get what he wants, right?" she asked her.

The mage shook her head. "Not without a fight," she replied with much confidence. Breeze managed to smirk.

"Fine by me." Those were her words before she quickly jumped into the portal, surprising her comrades.

Zina closed her eyes as she thought of what she could possibly do. Running from a fight wasn't really in her character, but this situation was different. "Kajie?" The said genome raised her head in acknowledgement. "You better not die…" she said before jumping into the black hole as well. _'Die crying at least…'_

Tony, Tina and the rest, except for Frina and Light jumped into the portal soon after the genome had entered. Kelpie glared at the two remaining replicas of Cosmos' Warriors. "Why won't you go already?" Kelpie yelled.

"I can't keep it open for much longer Kelpie!" Feigh shouted as she struggled. Exdeath was forcing her to close it. The Void itself was working against her. "Push them in if they won't go!"

Matilda frowned as she ran towards the two stubborn warriors. "Have you gone mad?" she exclaimed as she grabbed them by the arms and started dragging them to the portal. "You are our only hope of redeeming ourselves! Go!"

"We… We thank you," Light said before she and Frina entered the portal before it completely closed.

Ultimecia sighed. "What a waste of effort. Why avoid the inevitable?" she told the remaining replicas. Artema glared at the woman before him.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Did we just let them go?' Kefka exclaimed, extending his two arms towards where the portal once was.

"Whether or not we kill them, it does not matter," Mateus said, cutting off Kefka from extending his rant. "The Goddess will still fall, even if we are without them."

Kelpie widened her eyes. "What… What do you mean? Cosmos could not possibly die!"

"Oh yes she ca~an!" Kefka chimed in a sing song voice.

* * *

"Shit!" Breeze exclaimed as she landed on the ground, her shoulder taking the brunt of the impact. She had fallen from who knows how high, though the pain her arm was experiencing and the lack of any obvious broken bones told her that it wasn't _that_ high. She clutched her aching shoulder and tried to feel for anything out of the ordinary. _'Nothing out of place… Thank goodness…'_

Breeze stood up from her lying position and turned around in a full circle. "I'm… I'm back…" The pink and purple walls pulsed according to an unheard rhythm. The area was closed, too closed for her liking. Not far off was a pit. What was at the bottom, she didn't know, and didn't plan on ever finding out. It was the last place before everything had stopped and she was forced into a hole. The mimic struggled to remember what she was doing before being dragged into the earlier encounter.

'_Let's see… I was…'_ Irritation and anger suddenly overwhelmed her as she recalled what had happened. She and Bartz were running away from Exdeath. Bartz had stolen their crystal from the warlock with ease and the idea of it was unsettling to the female mime. _'That idiot! It could have been a trap! Seriously!'_ she thought, seething with anger. "Now he's missing! How 'bout that!" she shouted in order to vent out her frustration.

She started scouring through the area, making sure that she hide her presence if ever anyone was there. To her dismay and utter frustration, Bartz was gone. Time was stopped when she was taken away, could it be that time continued to flow when she was away? Had Artema lost his grip and allowed time to move? _'Or time did stop, but I took too long to get back that Artema was already killed and time started moving again?'_ she mused, acknowledging the fact that leaving the Chaos replicas behind would mean their deaths.

Whatever the reason, she needed to find Bartz; that, she was sure of.

* * *

_Dunno if my explanation was clear, but I hope it was._


	28. Odyssey X:II

**Odyssey X:II**

Tina broke into a jog as her twin came into view. "Thank goodness you're safe!" she cried as she slammed into him, hugging him in the process. Tidus, not knowing what her excitement was about, just gently pushed the woman away, only to find tears starting form in her eyes.

The male blitzball player pulled his eyebrows together. "Hey, don't cry! Why're you crying?" he said, feeling completely helpless as he didn't know what to do to stop her from crying.

"It's hard to admit, but it _is_ pretty comforting to find the two of you well," a familiar voice spoke. Tidus turned to where the voice came from and felt his jaw drop to find Frina standing with her arms crossed.

"F-Frina!" Tidus stammered, not knowing how to react to the woman's presence. After all, she had almost killed Firion. _'Speaking of Firion…'_ Tidus removed his eyes from the silverette and turned to the person in question. Firion was obviously not pleased, having already drawn one of his weapons. "Firion…"

Frina raised her hands in surrender. "I don't mean any harm. I've come to my senses, though I understand that you may still harbor negative feelings Firion." The silverette took a step forward. "You can strike me down right now if you want. I won't hold it against you," she calmly said as she made herself open for any attack.

"Frina! You can't be serious!" Tina blurted out. She then turned to Firion. "Don't you dare Firion!" she threatened. "She was tricked into doing what she did!" She then returned her focus back to her friend. "Who knows what would happen if he killed you Frina!"

Firion hesitated for a moment before withdrawing his weapon and returning it to his holster, though his expression was nothing short of bitter. Frina, seeing him stand down, sighed in relief and put down her hands. She wasn't prepared to go down. Not yet.

Tina exhaled as the tension between them subsided. "Thank goodness…" she sighed.

Tidus turned his attention to the two women, confusion overcoming him once again. "Where have you guys been? We've been looking for you for almost an hour," he informed them, though his last statement was directed to Tina. Cecil had left them, along with Cecilia, a few days ago, leaving Tina alone with the two men.

The female blitzball star turned to Frina. The weapons master shook her head, signaling her to keep everything a secret. "I… I felt a presence and followed it. That's how I found Frina," she lied, her voice noticeably softer.

"Is that so?" Firion questioned. Tina answered with a nod.

"Anyway, what happened since I was gone?" Frina asked. For the whole time she was away, she had encountered none of the other warriors. "Cecilia has left?"

Tidus nodded. "I let Cecil go and meet his brother and Cecilia felt obligated to follow him," he replied.

"Ah. I see," Frina murmured, falling deep into thought.

"We also encountered Tidus' father and the Emperor, except we were separated during that time," Firion added, now stepping within a closer proximity to Frina. "Actually, just after you disappeared, we saw Jecht and the Emperor fighting, but the Emperor left in a rush, saying something about disobedience."

Frina couldn't help but frown. _'Disobedient insects now are we?'_ she internally mused.

"How 'bout my mother? Did you see her with Jecht?" Tina interjected, feeling worried. She had no idea about Tidus' father, but based on Tidus' description, he was a harsh man. But then again, his perception could have been clouded by his hate for him.

"Your mother's fine Tina. I personally spoke to her after the incident. Jecht's a good man. He's taking good care of her," Frina reassured the blonde. She turned to the two men. "I suspect that that's not the end of it." Tidus noticeably frowned at how she had described his father but any complaints were miraculously kept on hold.

"Jecht was terribly injured," Firion informed them.

Tina shook her head in denial. "Then what about Mom? If even one of those Chaos scumbags get close to her… I need to get to her!" she cried out. She knew what she should do. Get to her mother, earn her power and return to Tidus. Easy as that.

"Then go," Frina shrugged. "No one's stopping you. Well, _I'm_ not stopping you," she said, eyeing the two other warriors. Firion nodded, allowing the blonde to go. Tina smiled and gave them their thanks before grabbing Tidus by the arm and started heading towards one direction.

"Hey! I didn't agree yet!" he protested as he tried to remove her hold on him. Unfortunately, Tina was deceptively stronger than she looked.

"Too bad. Where I go, you go," she laughed, though without mirth. "Besides, I know you want to finally face your old man so everyone wins." Tidus could say nothing to prove his twin wrong and decided to go with the flow. She was right after all.

"So, is this gonna be like me meeting your parents?" Tidus joked, trying to break the silence that had fallen.

Tina laughed in response, this time with sincerity. "Kinda like that…" The two chuckled, their worries seeming to be far away. At least for one of them.

'_So my story… finally comes to an end.'_


	29. Odyssey VIII:IV

**Odyssey VIII:IV**

"Say Squall," Quistin said softly, interrupting the quiet that Squall had been looking for a long time. "Where are we heading exactly?" she asked. "Are we… Are we going to fight her already?"

Squall stopped walking and turned to her. "We have to," he simply replied as he started walking again as if she had not talked at all.

Quistin lowered her head, following her original copy. They were going to face her, that was expected, but she was still unsettled by the fact that Artema had already been killed by the time witch. She had not seen him dead, but there was something in the air that told her so. Artema's death would mean they would have to face Ultimecia at her full strength while they were still separated. If they were to lose… Quistin shook the thought out of her head.

"Is everything alright?" Quistin looked up, not expecting Squall to talk while she was thinking. "You've been awfully quiet. Is something the matter?" he asked, though he did not turn to face her.

The gunblader couldn't help but chuckle. "I knew you were concerned about me," she whispered to herself, feeling contented.

Squall grunted, having heard her speak, and refused to talk even more if she was going to be like that. But it _was_ odd for her to be so deep in thought.

"I guess I'm a bit nervous," told him, answering his question.

"About what?" he said. _'I'm being too nosy for my own good.'_

"Oh nothing really. I just have this strange feeling in my gut, but I can fight."

"You should be. Ultimecia would be no easy opponent, especially if that enemy of yours is on her side," he informed her. Quistin couldn't help but sigh.

'_You don't know how right you are.'_

* * *

_Getting shorter and shorter, no?_


	30. Odyssey VI:IV

**Odyssey VI:IV**

Tony turned to glance at the ex-SOLDIER beside him. He knew that Cloud was aware, but he wasn't sure if Cloud knew that he knew. Terra had gone off to bathe, having found a clean river. She was hesitant at first, being alone and all, but she had no choice after all. It would have been easier if Claudine was there. _'Claudine…'_

"I bet Terra wouldn't be so scared if Claudine was with her," Tony said, trying to start a conversation. Cloud flinched at the sound of his replica's name.

"I… I guess so. If she was here," he mumbled, turning his head away from the half-esper.

"Right," Tony said as he rubbed the back of his head. There was an awkward silence between them. The only sound they could hear were the rushing river and the soft splashes the water made. "Sooo…. Did Claudine go with a smile?" This time, the question had randomly popped out of his mind and he just said it without thinking, a flaw that he tried to avoid showing.

Cloud was quiet for a few moments before sighing. "She did."

"Lucky girl, going down all smiley and such," the half esper mumbled. "Typical Claudine though," he said, laughing a bit at himself.

"You knew what happened to her?" the ex-SOLDIER asked, not entirely sure if the half esper knew. He talked as if he did, but Cloud knew better than to share information with someone who he had met just recently.

"_Don't be such a meanie Cloud!"_ the voice in his head chimed.

Tony shrugged. "Not until recently. Seems as though the rest of us are bound to end up like Claudine," he replied casually.

Cloud widened his eyes. "You're… going to disappear as well?" he asked. The other blond nodded in response. "Can't you do anything to avoid it?" This time, Tony shook his head. "So there's really no stopping it then… Have you told Terra?"

"I…" Tony raised his head, the blue sky a refreshing sight. The clouds were slowly passing by and the wind was gently blowing. Everything was nice and calm despite the whole world being a battlefield. "I don't think I should tell her. Besides, did Claudine say anything before she went away?" Cloud shook his head. "You seem alright handling it, maybe Terra would take it well too when she understands."

"_She's strong. She'll understand."_

* * *

_Just recovered from a fever. Left me all dizzy and stuff… It's nasty really, the bitter taste in your mouth every freaking time you close it… I just hate it._


	31. Odyssey IV:IV

**Odyssey IV:IV**

Cecilia watched the paladin from the corner of her eye. He was confused, she was sure of it. As much as she wanted to comfort the man, she couldn't bring herself to say even a single word. The reason? Disgust. She couldn't bear to watch him be so lost, but the help she would offer would come out half-heartedly. She couldn't - wouldn't - accept that he was unsure of what to do. It made her see him as a weak man, always turning to others, trusting those who shouldn't be trusted.

Their footsteps echoed as they hit the cemented surface beneath them. They came to a stop as a blinding light shone before them. "Cosmos!" Cecil called out in recognition of the Goddess of Harmony.

"Confused?" The Goddess simply asked, kindness radiating from her. Cecilia couldn't look at her. She just couldn't. She knew, that the moment they lock eyes, she wouldn't be able to hold back all her frustrations.

As Cecil started relaying what had happened, Cecilia couldn't shake the feeling that Cosmos was watching her, even if the Goddess' eyes were focused on Cecil. The Goddess gave a few words of advice to the paladin before calling her name. "Cecilia?" she softly said.

The said Lunarian refused to look up, content with a mere acknowledgement. "Yes?" she politely replied.

"You seem to have a heavy burden. Would you care to share your thoughts?" Cosmos asked. Her lovely face was contorted into that of worry, her radiance reduced only by a bit. Cecil turned to his replica with a worried face as well.

"Is everything fine Cecilia?" he asked, the concern in his voice could not be mistaken.

'_She knows…'_ Of course she knew, she was a Goddess after all. "Yes. I'm quite alright," she answered, sparing them a glance. Cecil nodded, trusting her word, but the Goddess' expression did not change.

"Very well," she said in finality, her form slowly fading. A flash of light blinded the two paladins momentarily and the moment they regained their vision, the deity was gone.

"Let us go," Cecil announced, once again taking the lead. Cecilia nodded and quietly followed him through the mess of broken pillars and statues.

"Do you know what you must do?" Cecilia asked quietly, her voice laced with sadness.

The paladin whirled around to face her. "I beg your pardon?" he said, confused at the unexpected question.

Cecilia turned her head away from him. "If ever you needed to strike down your brother, in order to obtain the Crystal, will you do it?" she clarified. The air remained silent between them, Cecil obviously hesitant on how to respond.

"If… If I need to, in order for me to attain the Crystal and save my world, then I will," he softly replied. Cecilia glanced at him, gauging his honesty. He was hurt that he had to pick between his brother and the world, but there was something about the aura he emitted that said he would do whatever it takes for his home. The paladin turned around, again, to lead the two of them, but not before whispering something that Cecilia wasn't supposed to hear. "But hopefully, it won't come to that…"

Cecilia sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. In spite of all the wrong doings his brother had done, he still held onto the belief that there was still good in him. A sudden pang of loneliness washed over her. _'A brother… A sibling, someone to look after you… What does it really feel to have one? Does forgiveness… really come that easily?'_ She felt something run down her cheeks and instinctively wiped it away. She glanced at her hand to check what it was. _'Tears?'_ She shook her head, hastily wiping them as well.

The female paladin glanced up to see Cecil staring at her a few feet away. It had hit her that during the short period she was thinking, Cecil was already moving onwards. "Cecilia, is anything wrong?" he called out, making his way back to her.

"Cecil?" Cecilia whispered as the said paladin approached her.

"What is it?"

"You've forgiven your brother, have you not?"

Cecil remained quiet for a moment before answering. "I have."

The Lunarian woman nodded gently. "Have you accepted him as your brother as well?"

The paladin hesitated again. "Yes, I have."

Cecilia drew in a deep breath. "Then I ask for the same forgiveness and acceptance."

This time, Cecil could not help but be confused. "What are you talking about? Why are you asking for forgiveness?" he asked, a hand reaching out to her.

The woman stepped back. "For misjudging you greatly. You are indeed a good man," she replied. "Please forgive me… I have no right to be standing here today."

Cecil shook his head. "You have nothing to ask forgiveness of… And I have already accepted you for who you are."

A soft laugh escaped Cecilia's lips, further confusing the other Lunarian. "That is not what I was asking when I meant acceptance," she informed him, finally turning to him, a small smile on her face.

The paladin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what for?"

Sadness once again washed over Cecilia, causing her to look down and speak in a hushed voice. "I have never truly known what it's like to have a family. My mother and father had long passed away and my sister wants to destroy me herself. I would like to ask… if you could be my brother, even for just this short time that we have." A few moments of silence passed and with each, Cecilia grew nervous and felt extremely foolish. "It was just something I thought of really," she reassured him, trying to disregard her request. "Nothing important." She smiled at him as an effort to reinforce her lie.

The Lunarian smiled back at her. "It's alright. From here on out, you will be my younger sister, Cecilia Harvey," he said kindly.

Cecilia widened her eyes at his answer. _'Cecilia Harvey…'_ She had never used the name Harvey. The only reason she could have used the name before now would have been because of her false memories. But now, as Cecil Harvey's sister, she felt as though it was already alright for her to use surname. Many emotions overwhelmed her to an extent that she did not realize that she had hugged the paladin.

_"Thank you, brother..."_


	32. Odyssey IX:III

**Odyssey IX:III**

Zidane panted as he unsummoned his blades, finally besting his opponent, or so he thought. As the armored giant vanished, his laughter lingering in the air, a cry of worry rattled him.

"Quistin!" The genome turned towards the owner and found Squall grasping for something in the air. "Quistin!"

"Oh please, don't go crying on me now…" a feminine voice that could only belong to Quistin chimed. "You know I don't like getting all teary and stuff," she laughed. Zidane looked around, searching for the other gunblade wielder, but he found no trace of the woman. It was then that something caught the thief's eyes. There was a transparent figure right before Squall. It was barely recognizable, but the still visible parts were enough to identify it as Quistin.

Zidane immediately went over to where Squall was, his eyebrows pulling together at the sight. "Quistin? What's happening?" he called out, earning him a giggle from the fading woman.

"Oh, you don't need to know. It's better if you didn't… I think," she replied in a carefree way. She shrugged as she spoke, though it was doubtful that they could see the gesture. "It's alright though," she reassured them.

"But you're disappearing! Disappearing Quistin!" the genome insisted. "How can that be alright?"

"Pfft… Please, as if anything can make the great Quistin disappear," she joked. Her soft laughter soon stopped though, as her transparent figure totally disappeared. "Glad to have spent time with you guys. Hope we… meet again someday," she softly whispered, hesitating on her last sentence. After that, they heard nothing else from her and the crystal in Squall's hand pulsed.

Zina quietly watched from a distance. She wanted no part of her comrade's departure. It was already hard for them to just quietly disappear, but to actually watch it was too much. The confusion. The sadness. The fear. It was just too much. _'Will I go like that?'_ she asked herself, her expression turning into that of a frown.

She heard faint footsteps gradually getting louder. She glanced at them from the corner of her eye before sighing and pushing herself off of the wall she was resting against. Ultimecia had taken Artema's power already when Squall faced her, but the two gunbladers managed to win. Gardenia was also nowhere in sight when they had faced Garland. _'Have they already absorbed the others?'_ she thought as she walked up to the two men.

"Quistin…" she heard one of them mumble. She knew that they did not know anything and had decided before hand to keep quiet. But because of Quistin's disappearance, she could only expect the question they would ask.

The female genome turned away as she crossed her arms, giving the two of them time to process earlier's events. She gazed out through the broken walls and into the dark night sky. It was unusually calm outside with the stars shining brightly in the distance. _'Quistin… She ended it with a happy note. Lucky girl,'_ she told herself. _'Had she really taken it that easily? No, she couldn't have. She still hoped that we would meet. She said so herself. But it would be all for nothing I guess…'_

"Zina?"

The said genome snapped out of her thoughts and turned to her twin. "What is it?" she asked, a sharpness in her tone.

"Do you know anything about what happened to Quistin?" Squall asked, his gray-blue eyes glaring into her bright azure ones. She simply shrugged in response, refusing to talk.

"You sure?" Zidane asked.

"Yeah, but she said she'd be fine, and I trust her. She wouldn't do anything stupid… hopefully," she replied. "Besides, don't we have certain mimes to look for? I'm more worried about Bartz and Breeze than Quistin," she said, trying to change the topic.

Zidane widened his eyes, remembering their own emergency. "Right! Bartz got kidnapped!" He felt something hit his side, causing him to wince. "And Breeze too," he added, mumbling the words. "It was a trap that was set up for us, but Bartz went ahead and-"

"I think he gets it," Zina interrupted. "Will you help us?" she asked in Zidane's stead. Squall though for a moment before pulling out a bright yellow feather out of his pocket. _'Bartz's feather…'_

"Alright. Let's go," he said, surprising the two of them.

"You'll help us then?" Zidane excitedly asked. Squall nodded.

Zina took in a deep breath as a strange energy started coming from the feather. It started glowing, and so did Squall's Crystal. The two objects released themselves from the gunblader's grasp and created a beam of light that lead outside and into the darkness of the night. "Do you think it leads to them?" the male genome asked as he stared at the shimmering yellow light.

"Hopefully," Zina sighed as she started following the path the light had lain out for them. The two men followed close behind her, and she could feel at least one of them glaring at her. _'Squall…' _She was aware the gunblader was suspicious. She could feel it.

They quietly followed the light with Zidane occasionally saying something. What it was, Zina didn't care. It didn't matter anymore. There was nothing else she could do. Everything had been lain down and all that was left for her was to follow the path that was carved out. She knew that it was impossible for her to continue on living, but the hope in Quistin's voice had reached her.

'_But is there really any hope for us?'_


	33. Odyssey V:III

**Odyssey V:III**

"Well, congratulations Bartz," Breeze said as she eyed the glistening purple crystal in the mime's hand. It was pretty amusing really. Their crystal being the feather Bartz had given to Squall at the start of their journey. She knew that there was still a long way for them to go, but her journey was about to end. "You finally got your Crystal. I gotta hand it to you, I thought you'd lead us to our doom."

"You really know what to say to ruin my mood huh?" the mime snapped back, but there was humor to his words. Friendly banter.

"He~ey!" a voice called from a distance. The three brunettes narrowed their eyes and saw two blondes running towards them. "Bartz! Squall! Breeze!"

Bartz smiled brightly at the sight of his friend. Breeze, on the other hand, was in no smiling mood. She could feel it, everything slipping away. Her senses were getting fuzzy, but she was still capable of moving. And by the way Zina was struggling to catch up with Zidane, she knew that the genome was also starting lose it.

Breeze sighed and approached them, Squall following close behind her. Zidane and Bartz were sharing each other's experiences and fighting over who won their little treasure hunt. "Zina," the female mime called. The said woman raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement. "Gonna say good bye?" she asked, tilting her head towards their look-alikes.

"Huh? Good bye?" Bartz asked, immediately pulling away from their conversation.

"Too late," Zina muttered, shaking her head. The two women took a deep breath and turned to their companions. "Sorry guys, but we've gotta go."

"Go? Where?" Zidane asked them, his brows pulling together.

Breeze shrugged. "Dunno. I guess wherever the wind takes me," she told them. She turned to the heavens, a strange sense of calm washing over her. She didn't need to look at what the two idiots were starting worry about since she could feel it. Her form was starting fade, and so was Zina's. "Come on Zina. Say good bye. No need to be shy," she teased as a smile made its way to her face.

Zina stuck out her tongue at the taller woman at which Breeze laughed at. "Well, I guess this is it," she whispered. "This is good bye," she sadly said, her eyes meeting Zidane's.

"Aw come on! Don't talk like that! You're talking as if we won't see each other! We'll see each other again, right?" the mime said. "We're still-" Breeze's shaking head stopped him in mid-sentence. "Are you serious?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "When have I ever been _not_ serious?" Breeze pointed out.

"So you knew this would happen all along," Squall finally said, speaking for the first time.

The two women looked at each other. "Yes," the softly replied in unison.

"And Quistin?" the gunblader asked.

"The same thing… As well as Claudine and Tony," Zina answered, her head low. Breeze suddenly turned and started walking away. "Breeze?"

"Come on Zina. There's nothing left for us to do. We've done everything we can. All we can do is hope that those two idiots don't mess things up for everyone," she told her. Her figure faded completely, as if it was blown away by the wind.

Zina smiled. "I guess you're right," she whispered, her eyes closing after watching her friend vanish. She quickly turned to the men, a hand on her hip and a finger raised at them. "If you mess this up, I'll blame the two of you," she threatened, pointing at Bartz and Zidane. It would have been threatening, but there was a glint of humor in her eyes. "I trust you though, that you'll do the right thing…" she said, mostly to herself as she turned about and walked away. It was not long before she, too, faded.

'_We trust you…'_

'…_But please just don't mess it up.'_


	34. Odyssey X:III

**Odyssey X:III**

"Now doesn't this feel familiar?" Tina sighed as she watched what she assumed were pyreflies floating around her.

"What? You're gonna leave too?" Tidus sadly asked, eyes gazing into his crystal. Soft laughter came from the blonde, annoying him. "What are you laughing at?" he said, almost hissing them out.

Tina's hand came into view as she placed it on top of the crystal. "Don't cry okay? You're dad's proud of you. You should be happy Tidus," she said, trying to cheer him up, but the sadness in her voice removed any comfort that the other blonde could have received.

"But why? Why do you have to go? We still need to get back to Cosmos and get back to our own worlds," the blitzball ace reminded her.

Tina took hold of Tidus' face with one hand, her grip squishing his face in an odd and funny way. "I have to if I want to help you," she explained to the best of her abilities. Tidus tried to speak, but the grip she had on his face had greatly impaired his speaking skills, his words coming out in garbled noises and flying saliva, the latter causing Tina much unease.

"Then don't help," Tidus managed to say as he removed the woman's hand from his face.

The woman shook her head, her ponytail following her movement. "That would be selfish of me. If I go now, then there'll be a better chance of you and the others winning this conflict," she told him. "Besides, even if I _don't _want to help, I'll still go."

The blonde woman crossed her arms as her head tilted to the side. She had a small smirk on her face for some reason. Saying good byes were really hard for her, but this one was easy. It was as if she had nothing to regret, nothing to be ashamed for. Tidus had his head low again, making Tina raise a fine eyebrow. Her form was starting to fade and the pyreflies seemed to speed up the whole disappearing process.

With a sigh of defeat, Tina slapped Tidus, causing the latter to almost drop the crystal in his hands. "Did it hurt?" she asked though it was more out of courtesy than of concern.

"What'd you do that for?" she heard him whine, rubbing the reddening area of his face. "Of course it hurt!"

"You need to snap out of it Tidus. It's not like you won't see me anymore. You'll remember me from time to time, right?" she asked him. Tidus nodded quietly. "See? Here, take this if you're not content with memories." Tina took hold of the pendant resting above her chest and gave it a good tug. She took Tidus' hand and placed the necklace on his palm. "Keep it if you want." Tina slowly backed away, a smile on her face.

Tidus stared at the item in his hand and clenched it in his fist. "I'll take-" Tidus stopped in mid-sentence as he realized the woman he was talking to was already gone, vanished into thin air. "I'll… I'll take good care of it. I promise," he whispered to the air, silently hoping that she could hear him.

'_Just… Don't forget me alright?'_


	35. Odyssey II:IV

**Odyssey II:IV**

Firion widened eyes as something forcefully pushed him to the side. He heard a large explosion and could see nothing but a cloud of smoke right where he was standing a moment ago. Debris was falling towards the ground, having been dislodged from their former positions by the unexpected shockwave. A woman's cough reached his ears and he immediately knew who it was. "Frina!" he called, waiting for an answer. Still, more coughs. The dust had finally settled, his vision becoming usable again. Right where he was standing before he was pushed away, was Frina, lying on the ground. "Frina!"

Frina choked as she tried to breathe in the dust-filled air. Her eyes were shut closed, trying to remember what had happened.

The Emperor had fallen. Though his words carried a disturbing idea, they paid no attention, knowing that the Crystal would soon be in their hands and that it would be what they need in order to end the conflict. As Firion stepped on one of the floor tiles, runic symbols appeared around him, casting a bright light. Frina, acting on pure instinct, pushed the man out of harm's way.

Firion immediately rushed towards his fallen friend. He started searching through his items for a potion, but he remembered that he had already given his last one to Tidus. "Hold on Frina. You'll be fine."

The injured woman shook her head. "No, I won't and that's how I think it should be. I suppose this is what I get for being easily deceived," she said. She took in an abrupt gasp of air, only to exhale it through rattling coughs. "Ouch…" she whispered, wincing a bit. "I suppose I should use what time I have left to apologize, Firion." The said weapons master furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't give me that look. You know full well what I'm talking about." Frina saw something flash and glimmer behind her comrade and smiled. "There it is, your Crystal," she said.

Firion turned around, albeit hesitantly, and indeed, saw the pink shard floating in mid-air, slowly rotating. "We did it Frina. We finally have it," the silverette said in awe as he slowly got up to take hold of the shining crystal. "We can end this conflict and fill the world with wild roses."

Frina maintained her kind smile, though there was an irrefutable sadness in her eyes. "Yes. You will be able to make your dream to become reality," she told him.

The silverette turned around, a confused expression on his face. "Why use 'you'? Between the two of us, is it only I that dream of the wild rose?"

"No."

"Then why talk as if you won't be there to…"

"I'm sorry Firion," Frina apologized as tears started running down the side of her face. "After this, you'll have to go back to the others on your own," she told him, confusing him all the more. "It's strange that I can speak of my fate to the others so easily, but not to you," she said with a mirthless laugh. "But…" Frina struggled to get up, only to be able to sit on the ground, her breathing becoming more and more labored. "… I'm sure someone out there can tell you," she said with a nod, before a strange light engulfed her and disappeared from Firion's sight.

The man blinked, having been momentarily blinded by the sudden burst of brightness. "Frina?" he called out, but this time, there was no reply. Not even a cough. He looked around and found nothing, no one. His eyes came to rest on the warm crystal in his hand. "Is it because of you that she left?" he asked it, knowing that it would not reply. The crystal pulsed for a moment, surprising him. "Then why? Why and where has she gone?"

'_I don't know Firion… I don't know…'_


	36. Odyssey I:III

**Odyssey I:III**

Light stepped back as she saw the other Warriors of Cosmos approach them. Although their presence was unexpected, relief washed over her as she saw them, all nine. _'And there shall only be ten…'_ she mused. The crystal in Warrior's hand was shimmering and it was calling out to her. _'The time has come. Our parts… have been successfully completed.'_

"Finally!" Tidus exclaimed, relieved that all of them had finally attained their own crystals. Light gazed at the remaining warriors and smiled to herself.

"Isn't that Light?" a small voice that could only belong to Luneth asked. The said warrior widened her eyes as she felt all their attention turned to her, but it was already too late for them to ask questions. She could already feel herself disappearing. Her time was finally up.

The armored woman closed her eyes and turned to the heavens. "And so it ends here. My long journey has finally come to a conclusion," she whispered. She could see the light through her closed eyelids, its warmth enveloping her.

"So you too huh?" Cloud said, glancing to the side.

The Warrior of Light, having no idea what was happening, could only watch in confusion. "What… What is this?" he murmured, carefully watching what was unfolding before him.

"Wait! Can't you explain what's going on?" Zidane yelled. Light shook her head.

'_Even if I did, it does not matter. Unlike the others, I had no memories to grow attached to. Nothing to serve as proof that I had lived.'_

"You can't just run away!" she heard Bartz said. It was an insult. They wanted her to talk, but she won't.

'_I am no coward. I am not running away. It is simply just how it is supposed to be.'_

Terra lowered her head. "She's not running. She's just going back to where she belongs. Like all of them did," she said in a soft voice.

'_You are correct, but there is still more to it…'_

"So this is really how it was meant to be?" Firion asked, a certain sadness in his voice.

'_I am afraid so…'_

"And here I thought that once we get our Crystals, everything's gonna be alright," Squall muttered.

'_It will, once that I'm gone…'_

"If they disappeared because of the Crystals, then did we do the right thing?" Cecil pondered, doubting his actions.

'_Yes. You did do the right thing.'_

Light opened her eyes and turned to the Warrior. With a nod, she smiled. The light around her started to fade, and with it, her body. It was not long before she had completely disappeared, reducing the Warriors of Cosmos from twenty, to ten.

Questions were still unanswered. Where were they? Who were they? Were they really just people from a parallel universe, or there was something more? What could have happened to them? Were their adversaries also gone?

There were still things the Warriors of Cosmos did not know, but with hope fueling them, they headed for Cosmos' realm. Hope that they would have their questions answered, and hope that they would stop the conflict.

* * *

_Shade Impulse? Nah. Not going there. I'm content on the epilogues._


	37. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

A gentle breeze swept through the clearing, bringing with it the mixed scents of different flowers. The clear water of the lake shimmered beneath the beautiful blue sky, clouds perfectly being mirrored on its calm surface. A tall white castle stood proudly in the distance and everywhere was rolling hills and lush forests. The Warriors of Cosmos gasped at the peaceful sight.

"Where… Where are we?" Firion asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Is it… really over?" Luneth sighed as he looked around. The sight before them was a refreshing one. After weeks, months, of fighting, they were finally done. Their final stand with Chaos, the God of Discord… They came out victorious. After all the hardships, they finally succeeded.

"It is, isn't it?" Terra said, a meek smile gracing her lips. She tightened her grip on the jewel in her hands, enjoying the warmth that it gave. The crystal in her hand pulsed for a moment before returning to its normal radiance.

Zidane got down from the tree he found himself in and walked closer towards where most of his comrades were. Bartz made himself content beneath the cool shadows of the trees, preferring to take advantage of the calm. "Then this is it huh?" the genome rhetorically asked.

The gunblader settled his weapon upon his shoulder and took a good look at his companions. He had to admit they were an odd group, ranging from your typical knight in shining armor to a mere wanderer. Squall was never the one to be called social, but the people he had met here, somehow, he got attached.

Cecil spared the sky a glance and noticed the fading moon, the sun slowly taking its place. "It seems as though our journey has come to an end…" he murmured.

Tidus turned his head towards their supposed leader, the Warrior of Light. He knew the man remembered nothing of his past. Even his own name escaped his thoughts. The energetic blonde smiled, thinking their leader would be fine with or without a past. "We'll soon be going…"

The Warrior of Light nodded, knowing that soon, they would leave for their own worlds. "So this cycle has ended and we have come out as the victors. The light has triumphed…" The crystals in each of the warrior's hands glowed brightly as a strong gust of wind blew by. The glow subsided a few seconds after and the warriors could hear faint laughter.

"Not without us~" a feminine voice chimed. Luneth widened his eyes as a girl jumped onto him. Long blonde hair obscured the girl's face, but the young Onion Knight didn't need to see her face to know who she was.

"L-Luna?" the young knight stammered, unsure of how to react. "You're… alive?"

The girl giggled as she pulled away. "Duh! You are too, right?"

"Then…" Luneth turned towards the side and saw more people, but they were not walking towards them. They were just standing, looking at the group. He could see some of them conversing, laughing even. He could see one of them move away from the group and approach Terra. The said half esper smiled brightly at the sight of her copy being safe and sound. She jumped into his arms, both of them laughing.

Zidane caught sight of the group and waved a hand at his female double. The genome spared him a glance and turned away. Zidane raised an eyebrow and decided to go up to them himself.

"So you made it out alive huh?" Zina asked in her usual stoic tone, not even moving her eyes to look at him. The male genome smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"I guess so. If I knew you were waiting, I would've done things faster. I wouldn't want to keep a pretty lady waiting," he replied with a smile. His comment earned him a hit on a head followed by tight embrace.

"Idiot! I was so worried! You could've gotten yourself killed! I'd kill you if did!" she angrily told him through the tears she was trying to hold back. Zidane smiled warmly and patted the woman's head in an effort to comfort her.

"Well, I'm okay, right? No big deal," he said with a shrug.

The girl pushed him away harshly, causing him to stumble back, and turned away with her arms crossed. "Idiot…"

Frina watched the two genomes resume with their banter before turning to Firion who was already walking towards them. She was grateful that Cosmos had given them a chance to live out their lives, but the weapons master still felt guilty for almost causing the death of one of the Warriors of Cosmos.

"What happened?" Firion asked, finding greetings no longer necessary. "You disappeared, and then reappear…"

"Cosmos gave us a second chance I suppose," Frina simply said, shrugging. The silverette turned to the patch of roses growing nearby and couldn't help but pluck one of the beautiful flowers. "Say… These roses… You think they're the same from the ones back home?"

Firion stared at the precious flower in the woman's hand and nodded. "I suppose so."

"Good, at least Light will remember us whenever she passes by these," she murmured to herself, feeling content and happy.

"Cloud~!"

"Squall~!"

The said warriors found themselves pinned down by their counterparts. Claudine smiled brightly as her Mako filled eyes glowed and Quistin laughed. The two men couldn't find it in them to be angry at the women as they were content with seeing them fine.

"Now aren't you happy," Cloud commented as he gently pushed the woman off of him.

Claudine replied with a laugh. "Who wouldn't be?"

"Get off Quistin," Squall ordered the female brunette. The female gunblader answered by sticking her tongue out. "If you get hurt, it's your fault." Quistin widened her eyes as he pushed her off in a much harsher fashion than how Cloud managed to get Claudine off.

Quistin rubbed her back, having landed on it, as she sat up. "Ouch! That hurt! You're such a meanie!" she complained. Instead of being annoyed though, Squall smiled. The brunette widened her eyes as she watched the astounding event unfold. She immediately turned about to face the majority of the group and made a cone around her mouth with her hands. "SQUALL SMILED! IT'S A MIRACLE!" she announced, using her loudest voice. The announcement caused several of their comrades to smile and laughed.

"Now aren't they having fun?" Bartz commented as he turned his head towards the woman who had stopped beside him.

"Yeah…" Breeze agreed. "I've gotta say, I'm surprised your alive." Bartz was about to argue when the other brunette continued speaking. "But I'm relieved that you are," she added, causing Bartz to widen his eyes.

"So, what now?" Bartz asked.

Breeze turned to look at her counterpart. "Honestly, I don't know."

"C-Cecil?" Cecilia managed to croak as she saw the paladin.

Cecil turned to her, a smile on his face. "You're here too…"

The female paladin made a face. "Would you expect anything less?" she asked. Cecil turned his face to stare at the fading moon once again. Cecilia followed suit, finding herself entranced by its wonder. "The moon… Do you think we'll be able to visit him?" The paladin kept quiet, knowing exactly who she was talking about. The woman, finding his lack of response depressing, decided to answer her own question. "I believe we will. It may not be today, or tomorrow. But someday, we'll see your brother again."

"_Our_ brother," he corrected, earning him a confused look. "Don't tell me you have already forgotten."

Cecilia widened her eyes. "I… I did not! B-But it was because-"

"So you are telling me you do not want to be my sister?" the paladin asked.

The woman shook her head. "Of course I want to but-"

"Then that's settled then," Cecil said with finality. Cecilia was about to say something more, but she decided against it and chose to let it rest. She had a family she could call her own. There was none mistaking it.

Light removed her helm as she stopped beside the Warrior. "Is there any need for me to explain?" she asked, preparing herself to answer any of the questions he might ask.

"No, but there is something I would like to ask," the Warrior said.

Light raised an eyebrow. "Then ask. I will try to answer it to the best of my capabilities," she told him.

"What are our names?"

The female knight widened her eyes. She had not prepared a sufficient answer for that specific question. True, she still knew nothing of their past despite having defeated Chaos and it made her wonder. Thoughts would spring up and confuse her, but she had long decided what to do if ever it had gone the way it had. "I do not know…" The Warrior was immediately crestfallen. "But… I have decided to move on. Along with my friends, I have found a name, a name I would gladly go by with."

"A new name?"

Light nodded her head. "Yes. Lucia… That's what we had all decided upon," she told him.

"Lucia…" The Warrior repeated, allowing his tongue to get used to the name. "I wonder if I ever had a name…" Light - now Lucia - hit the Warrior on the head.

"Enough with that. Does it really matter to you so much that you would let yourself be pulled into depression? Can you not move on? We have friends and despite the distance between them and us, we still have them. Are the memories we have shared with them not enough?" she said, having had enough of his confused, lost character.

The Warrior stared at the woman, not believing that she had actually hit him. "I…"

"Already need to go?" Tidus asked as he stared into his crystal.

"I guess… But please don't talk to the crystal. You look like you're nuts," Tina commented as she gave him a friendly punch. "You think your team has a place for me?" she asked as blue light started to envelope them.

"Of course! But you'll have to work extra hard to beat me!"

"Yeah right!"

Tidus turned to his comrades, a smile on his face. "Don't worry. The crystals know the way."

"See ya!" Tina chimed before they jumped into the lake behind them and disappeared.

"Knowing you, you'll get us lost," Zina told Zidane as they themselves started to disappear.

"Did I ever tell you about being more feminine?" the male genome asked. "Besides, we won't just disappear like you did. We get to go home." With that, the two genomes smiled brightly before jumping off of the tree they were in and disappearing into the foliage.

"Maybe we could go on another mission together," Squall suggested.

Quistin smiled at the notion. "That would be great! As long as it doesn't concern saving the worlds and fighting Chaos again, I'm good!" she chimed before blowing the feather in her hand and watching it float away. She closed her eyes and disappeared along with Squall.

"Not interested," Cloud said, declining the gunblader's offer.

Claudine frowned. "Oh come on! I know you wanna!" she sang before the two of them disappeared into the field of flowers.

"Come on Terra… They're waiting for you," Tony said as he noticed the two of them finally glowing as well.

"Waiting for _us_ Tony," the half esper corrected. "You're part of the family now. We can continue rebuilding. We should move on." With that, they too disappeared.

"Time flies when you're having fun huh?" Bartz said as he took hold of a fallen branch.

Breeze stared at the branch as well before rolling her eyes and throwing it behind them. "Too bad. Well, come on." They disappeared as well, leaving no trace except for the branch that lay oddly in the middle of the path.

"The strength you gave us," Cecil said, glancing at Cecilia for a moment, "We will pass it on." The two of them looked at the moon and watched it completely disappear from their view. Cecilia smiled and the two of them disappeared in a smoke of blue.

"Everyone… Thank you," the two Onion Knights said in unison right before disappearing.

The Warrior started walking away, Lucia following close behind him. Firion and Frina watched the two warriors walk away. Frina turned to the flower in her hand and sighed. "It's not yet the end Frina. Another dream awaits," Firion informed her.

"Indeed," she agreed as she nodded. The two of them faded away, dreams in their hearts.

"They're all gone," Lucia whispered. "I hope they get back safely…"

"I have faith in them," the Warrior of Light told her.

"As do I."

_=o=Fin=o=_


End file.
